Back To School
by FlamingIce94
Summary: Now temporarily living in New York,the Bladebreakers have been sent to attend high school. But what is Kai hiding that makes him so suspicious of his new school. Takes place after the BEGA tournament.
1. An Unexpected Change

**Back To School**

**Summary: **Now temporarily living in New York, the Bladebreakers have been sent to attend high school. But what secrets is Kai hiding that makes him so suspicious of his new school. (Takes place after the BEGA tournament.)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beylade, and sadly probably never will.**

**Ages**

**Kai: 16**

**Ray: 15**

**Tyson: 15**

**Max: 15 (Kenny** is not in this story. Let's just say that he fell off the face of the Earth.)

**Chapter One: An Unexpected Change**

"TYSON!!! How could you get us lost? We had a map for heaven's sake."

It was early on a cold November day and already the Bladebreakers were having some trouble.

"Calm down Max. I know exactly where we are. We're … uhh. Well maybe I don't. But _I _wasn't the one to grow up in New York." shot Tyson.

"I already told you I never came to this part of the city before." replied Max.

Before Max and Tyson could create a national scene, someone finally had some sense to intervene. "Listen guys, how about instead of arguing about whose fault it is that were stuck here, why don't we just ask someone where the BBA building is." said an always sensible Ray. "Or we could always just look up" said the fourth member of the group. At this the others looked up and sure enough the entrance to a large building read BBA. Grinning triumphantly a certain navy haired blader started boasting. "See, I told you I'd get us there" Then as if he owned the place he marched through the entrance. "I honestly wish we would have been lost. Then we wouldn't have to here him brag for the next week. Thanks Kai." The pouting blonde then followed Tyson through the entrance, with the other two trailing behind.

The reason the world beyblading champs were headed to the BBA was to meet with Mr. Dickinson the chairman. Apparently in its attempt to become a worldwide sport, the BBA had started many offices on an international scale. This one being in New York.

Inside the lobby the boys started to notice just how big the building really was. The walls were a manila color with many beyblading posters hanging on them. In the corner of the lobby was a circular desk at which sat a middle-aged lady with her brunette hair tied in a tight bun. Heading over to her the Bladebreakers noticed how the ceiling was made of glass, allowing the floor above to be translucent. Thinking about how weird the architecture was but putting it to the back of his head, Ray addressed the lady.

"Excuse me miss. We are here to see Mr. Dickinson." Looking up from her paperwork, the lady turned to the group. "Oh yes. The Bladebreakers right? He's been expecting you. Take the elevator to the third floor and his is the second door on the right." After nodding towards the elevator, she turned back to her paperwork. "Thanks." responded Ray and turned towards his group. "This way."

Once inside the elevator Tyson sat right on the floor. "Man am I bushed. We've been walking all day."

"Maybe if you didn't run away every time we did physical training you'd actually be used to walking and wouldn't get so tired." said Kai who unlike his normal self seemed apprehensive. Taking notice of it but deciding to drop it Ray decided to state the obvious.

"We're here" Walking out of the elevator, Tyson continued to ramble on.

"Please, you call that physical training, more like slave-driving." Ignoring the comment Kai walked to the second door on the right which had BBA CHAIRMAN written in gold letters across the front. After knocking first and then hearing a reply, he turned the brass handle and was greeted by a flustered but cheerful Mr. Dickinson.

"Ahh boys I see you've arrived. I trust your stay so far has been a good one."

"We just arrived yesterday Mr. D, but yeah it's been great. The hotel even has a free breakfast." supplied Tyson taking a seat on a leather sofa against one of the walls. Sitting down next to him was Max, and Ray sat on a chair in front of Mr. Dickinson's desk. Kai just took his usual position leaning against the wall.

"Well boys I bet you're wondering why I called you here. With the BEGA tournament ending last month the BBA has been very busy in starting up again. In fact we're so busy that there probably won't be another tournament for a while." Ignoring the protests, Mr. Dickinson continued. "Therefore, I thinks it's best that you boys got your priorities straight. For the last three years you have made a great sacrifice by dedicating a lot of your time to the BBA, but now it's time for a change. You have all missed a lot, and have fallen behind in schooling. Therefore, I have enrolled all of you in H.C. Brown's High School."

I know it's not very exciting yet, but it's only the first chapter.

Please Review!


	2. An Unwanted Conversation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade**

**Chapter 2: An Unwanted Conversation**

Outside the BBA building in Manhattan, New York the world was at ease. Drifting from the sky were tiny snowflakes which were starting to cover the Earth. But amid this tranquility, just inside the building, chaos had begun.

"WHAT!" Shouted the younger occupants of the room. Even Kai had opened his eyes at what Mr. Dickinson had said.

"This time next week you will be attending H.C. Brown's high school." repeated Mr. Dickinson.

"You can't be serious. It's bad enough I'm told by my Grandpa to go to school. Now I'm being told by the head of the BBA."

"Now Tyson, I know school isn't on the top of you're to do list, but it is a necessity. Now I have already contacted your parents and guardians, and they feel the same way I do."

"I can't believe this." grumbled Tyson.

"So then" continued Mr. Dickinson ignoring Tyson's comment. "You will all be placed in tenth grade. As for living arrangements, Mrs. Tate has so kindly offered for you to stay with her."

"Seriously?!! We are going to be staying at my mom's." exclaimed an enthralled Max.

"Yes, you will be staying with her along with the All-Starzs." At this Kai rolled his eyes. "The BBA has supplied her with a large training facility that houses about fifteen people. This way, you won't have to worry about falling behind on training. Oh and Tyson, I believe your dad has agreed to help Judy out. So I believe he will be staying with you too."

"My dad!" said a disbelieving Tyson. "How cool! I'll finally get to spend some time with him."

"Yes, so now back to business. All of the text books and supplies you need have been delivered to the house. All you need to do is bring your stuff from the hotel there."

"So how long are we actually going to attend school?" inquired Ray

"Well the rest of the year of course. Although beyblading is a big part of your lives, it will not get you through life. That is why you need to attend school. To get an education." explained Mr. Dickenson.

"Now my dear boys I suggest you hurry back to the hotel. I must say I was expecting you earlier then this."

"You can blame Tyson for that; he had us trailing all through the city looking for this place."

"Hey, I got us here didn't I Max?" said a defensive Tyson. Getting up to leave the Bladebreakers said their goodbyes and where halfway through the door when Mr. Dickinson asked for a word with their captain. When the door finally closed and it was just the two of them, Mr. Dickinson let out a sigh.

"Well now Kai, how have you been? Raising his eyebrows at the attempt Mr. Dickinson was making for small talk, he replied nonchalantly "Fine. Now what did you want to see me about."

"Always straight to the point as usual. Well now, it's about placing you in tenth grade. I realize you should be a year above the rest, but I figured you would be more comfortable if you had others you knew with you in your grade."

"Hn. Mr. Dickinson I believe you know that I have already completed all my schooling. I see no need in attending this high school." said an emotionless Kai.

"Yes I do know that, but you will still attend. I really doubt that the abbey taught you all that you need to know. Besides being left by yourself all day while your teammates will be at school would be no fun." At this, Kai raised his eyebrows. Amusement flashing in his eyes.

"Now" continued Mr. Dickinson. "I have all of your schedules." Taking out four envelopes he handed them to Kai.

"Is this all?" inquired Kai taking the envelopes. Right now all he wanted to do was leave. He had never trusted Mr. Dickinson very much, and he definitely didn't like how he treated him as a child.

"Yes my boy that is all. But are you quite sure you're okay." said a hesitant Mr. Dickinson. "I mean you certainly have dealt with a lot in the past month. From the BEGA tournament to your grandfather being taken to prison-"

At this Kai shot a death glare at Mr. Dickinson. How dare he mention Voltaire.

"I'm not some kid who needs looking after." said Kai keeping his glare in place. "I could honestly care less about what happens to Voltaire. So now if you're done then I'd like to get back to my team." An astounded Mr. Dickinson just nodded unable to believe that Kai didn't care a thing for his grandfather. He knew that they had a few problems in the past, but to not care at all about him. Well that just couldn't be. Hearing the door slam, he wondered if anyone would ever get through to Kai.

Outside of his office though, Kai was thinking about what Mr. Dickinson had said. He didn't want to think about what had happened. Why did Mr. Dickinson even bring it up? He didn't say so, but everything that had happened the past month did affect him.

First with his battle with Brooklyn. It was a great victory, but he had a price to pay for it. A sacrifice Kai still wasn't sure was worth it. His beloved Dranzer. After the battle, Dranzer had been completely destroyed, her energy all used up. Kai didn't know when or if Dranzer would ever return, but he missed her dearly. She was always there for him to talk to when he needed someone, and she always had warmth that put him at ease when he needed it. He had grown up with her, and now without her he was left with a cold feeling inside. Just void and hollow. And if that wasn't enough, a day later Voltaire had been sent to jail.

Someone had finally acquired enough evidence to press charges against him for illegal counterfeiting and unauthorized experiments. Now he and Boris were both behind bars for ten years without bail. But Kai new better. They would be out in probably the next month. Voltaire had his ways. Whether it was spies inside the police force, or blackmailing, or even bribing, he would be out soon enough. The thing that bothered Kai though was what Voltaire had said to him before the tournament. Just before his battle with Brooklyn. It had been outside the locker rooms. Just like two years before. **(1) **

_Flashback_

" _Well my boy, you may have betrayed Biovolt again. But remember this, no matter where you go, Biovolt will always follow. You were raised in the abbey and it will always be a part of you. I will personally make sure of it." And without another word, he turned around and walked away. Leaving behind a wordless Kai._

_End Flashback_

Kai was still puzzled by what Voltaire had threatened and was honestly a bit nervous. He hated the abbey and he definitely didn't want to go back.

Composing himself, he finally caught up with the rest of his group who were in the lobby. Ray was standing aside form the other two shaking his head while Max and Tyson were busy breathing on the glass windows and then drawing pictures in the steam. Sighing at their immaturity. He called them. "Come on were going." With that he walked out the door with the other three running to catch up.

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Wow! If I had to write Mr. Dickinson's name one more time in that chapter, I was going to scream. 

**1**. In the first season at the Russian Championships, Voltaire meets Kai outside the locker rooms right before his match. He was offering him Black Dranzer I think.

Please Review : )

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	3. Schedules

Disclaimer: Do not own Beyblade.

Here are the Bladebreakers schedules for their new school.

**Kai: **

**1st period- World Cultures (8:00-8:50)**

**2nd period- Gym (8:50-9:40)**

**3rd period- Math (9:40-10:30)**

**4th period- Science (10:30-11:20)**

**Lunch-(11:20-12:10)**

**5th period- Free period (12:10-1:00)**

**6th period- Language Arts (1:00- 1:50)**

**7th period- Language Arts (1:50-2:40)**

**Dismissal: 2:45**

* * *

**Tyson: **

**1st period-Math (8:00-8:50)**

**2nd period-Gym (8:50-9:40)**

**3rd period-World Cultures (9:40-10:30)**

**4th period-Science (10:30-11:20)**

**Lunch- (11:20-12:10)**

**5th period- Language Arts (12:10-1:00)**

**6th period- Language Arts (1:00-1:50)**

**7th period- Free period (1:50-2:40)**

**Dismissal: 2:45**

* * *

**Ray:**

**1st period- World Cultures (8:00-8:50)**

**2nd period-Gym (8:50-9:40)**

**3rd period-Free period (9:40-10:30)**

**4th period-Math (10:30-11:20)**

**Lunch- (11:20-12:10)**

**5th period- Language Arts (12:10-1:00)**

**6th period-Language Arts (1:00-1:50)**

**7th period-Science (1:50-2:40)**

**Dismissal: 2:45**

* * *

**Max:**

**1st period-Math (8:00-8:500**

**2nd period-Language Arts (8:50-9:40)**

**3rd period-Language Arts (9:40-10:30)**

**4th period-Free Period (10:30-11:20)**

**Lunch-(11:20-12:10)**

**5th period-Gym (12:10-1:00)**

**6th period-World Cultures (1:00-1:50)**

**7th period-Science (1:50-2:40)**

**Dismissal: 2:45**


	4. An Understanding Phone Call

-1Thanks to vlissan, Smiffyizdabest, Berritmmppic, and UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter 4: An Understanding Phone Call**

"Hey Kai wait up!" shouted the trailing members of the group.

The falling snow was starting to blow harshly as the wind started to pick up. Many people were rushing to get inside. Finally the three boys caught up with their captain.

"Hey Kai" said an out of breath Tyson. "What did Mr. Dickinson want?"

"Here." he said shoving three envelopes into Tyson's hands. "They're your schedules."

"Oh cool." exclaimed Tyson. "I want to see what classes we all have together." Giving the other two envelopes to Ray and Max, he tore the top off of the one that had Tyson Granger printed on the front. Before opening his, Ray gave Kai a sideways glance. Making sure the other two didn't here, Ray questioned Kai. "You were in there longer then it would have taken to just pick up some schedules."

"Your point?" asked Kai.

"Well you seem more on edge now. So what exactly did Mr. Dickinson want?"

Turning towards Ray, he replied in a monotone. "I believe that if you were meant to have known, then you would have been present in the room. But seeing as you weren't, I guess it was none of your business." With that said he walked ahead of Ray.

"I don't know what you're about Kai." thought Ray. "But I'm determined to find out." Then, Tyson interrupted Ray's thoughts.

"Hey Ray, what classes do you have?"

* * *

_(Later) _

After finding out who had classes with whom, the Bladebreakers went to their hotel and started packing. After about an hour, (and trying to calm a sugar-high Max down. Apparently he had found the chocolate stash Tyson had in his suitcase.) The Bladebreakers had called Mrs. Tate to come pick them up. Now riding in the backseat of her car, the Bladebreakers were chatting away happily.

"I can't wait to see my dad again. Will he be at the house when we get there?"

"Actually Tyson, your dad hasn't arrived yet. He should arrive within the next few days."

"Oh."

"I'm excited about seeing the All-Starz. We haven't seen another team since the last tournament." said a semi-hyper Max. At this statement, Kai inwardly cringed. Of all the teams staying with them, why did it have to be the All-Starz? It wasn't that he didn't like the All-Starz, but they hated him. Ever since the first Championship in Moscow, they had never forgiven him for betraying his team. And now at the last tournament, when he joined BEGA he new that that resentment for him grew. The thing that bothered him though, was that the only reason he joined BEGA was to find out what Boris was up to. Everyone thought that it was just so he could battle Tyson. Yeah right. If he wanted to have a battle with Tyson, he could have just asked. But still, the All-Starz think of him as heartless, and Kai thought that they had every right to. He had never showed them otherwise. But still, he wished that they new how much the things that they said behind his back, the things they didn't think he heard, he wanted them to know how much those things hurt him. He'd never show it though. He would just act like it didn't bother him and pretend to brush it off. But now that they would be living with him, he wondered how much longer he would be able to keep that up.

After about a fifteen minute car ride across town, the Bladebreakers arrived at their new house. It looked more like a two level apartment though. The outside was painted a soft yellow and a pathway from the street led to the door.

"Well boys welcome to your new home. You can go inside and pick out which room you want. The All-Starz are out right now, so just make sure you don't take one of their rooms." explained Judy. With that each of the boys entered the house with Max and Tyson running ahead to make sure they got the room they wanted.

Once inside, the building, the Bladebreakers realized that it was bigger than they thought. As soon as you walked inside there was a staircase that led upstairs to where all the bedrooms were. If you passed up the staircase, you would end up in a kitchen with a huge, oak, dinner table. There was also a library, a bathroom, and a living room on the first floor. Outside there was a patio and an enormous backyard with three Beyblade dishes. The backyard then led into what looked like a forest.

"Whoa!" said a stunned Tyson. Then, taking advantage of Tyson's staring; Max took a head start up the stairs and shouted. "Looks like I get first pick of the rooms Tyson." (I guess the kid's still sugar-high.)

Walking up the stairs Kai realized that he was impressed with the house. It seemed pretty big and he took special notice of some places he could sneak off to when he wanted to be alone. Entering the hall upstairs, he saw that was there an open door that led to another hall of about six rooms. Deciding to stay near his team, he walked down the first hall and chose the fourth door on the left. His room was next to Ray's, and across from Tyson's. Two doors down there was another bathroom.

Entering the room that he had chosen Kai examined his surroundings. It was an average size room with a double bed in the far right corner. Below the foot of the bed there was a decent sized closet. On the left there were two dressers. And on the far wall there was a desk with a chair. Right above the desk there was a window with a maple tree outside it. Walking towards his bed, he dropped his duffel bag on the floor and dropped onto his bed. Thinking about all that had happened today he sighed. After a minute of just laying there, he took out his black cell phone and decided to call Tala.

Ever since Tala had awoken from a coma, he and Kai had kept in contact with each other, secretly making sure the other was staying out of trouble. Everyone thought that they both hated each other, but in truth they were good friends. In fact Kai was good friends with all the Blitzkrieg Boys. Kai trusted Tala more then anyone else though. After BEGA and losing Dranzer, he didn't know what he would do without Tala's support.

After the third ring on the phone, someone finally picked up.

"Hello" said a slightly accented voice.

"Hey Red." answered Kai.

"Well, you finally decided to call. And here I thought you tripped on the plane, knocked the pilot unconscious and went spiraling to your death in the Pacific Ocean." Smirking at his friend's bizarre imagination. Deciding to go along he answered in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh so you did hear. But that was Tyson who tripped, and luckily the rescue crew saved us in time."

"Sorry, next time I'll get my facts right." Tala replied barely suppressing a laugh.

They did this often. Having just stupid conversations trying to out wit the other. It was one of the only times Kai could just relax and be himself.

"So" said Kai who was composing himself again. "How are the others?"

The Blitzkrieg Boys were now all living in Russia and were sharing a small house courtesy of Mr. Dickinson.

"Well, Bryan and Ian are in a row right now about whose turn it was to clean the dishes. You should have seen it. Bryan resorted to calling Wyborg a worm which led to Ian biting him. It was pure comedy. Now Spencer's busy hiding the knives from Bryan who's threatening to kill Ian."

"So it was just another regular day at the Blitzkrieg house." said Kai picturing the whole thing in his head.

"Pretty much. I swear one day I'm going to come home and find Ian in a body bag because he pushed Bryan too far. So, what's happening over in New York?" asked Tala

"Well it looks like I'm going to be over here longer then I thought. Mr. Dickinson got this bright idea that we all should think about are future and decided he's going to send us all to high school. Now we're all living with Max's mom and the All-Starz in this apartment/house thing." said Kai summing up his whole day within three sentences.

"Hold up. You're telling me that you're going to attend a high school. Um… why exactly? I mean you're already advanced so why go back to school?"

"Mr. Dickinson doesn't think that the abbey can be considered a school. Basically he thinks that I never learned anything except beyblading there." At this Tala inwardly cringed. Tala tried as best as possible not to mention the abbey around Kai. He knew everyone wasn't exactly treated well there, but he also knew that being Voltaire's grandson Kai was treated the worst out of everyone. He was pretty susceptible to the subject to say the least. Tala also knew how the All-Starz treated Kai. They treated his team the same way.

"Well, just prove the old geezer wrong. And as for the All-Starz, don't let those prats get to you."

"Your right Red." started Kai but then he was interrupted by a voice coming from his door.

"Hey Kai are you done unpacking yet? Judy has dinner ready so hurry up." Then the sound of scurrying feet were heard. Sighing Kai got back to Tala.

"I have to go Tala. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Yeah well just don't go spiraling into any oceans this time." answered Tala with humor back in his voice.

"Sure thing." said Kai shaking his head. And with that he hung up. Laughing silently to himself he started walking downstairs. Just before he reached the kitchen however, he was brought out of his stress-free moment by the voice of a certain red headed scientist. **(1.)**

"Where is the traitor anyway?" becoming sullen he thought "and so it begins."

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**1. **That was Emily from the All-Starz if you didn't figure it out.

Well I hope to update soon. Please Review )


	5. An Unsure Start

Thanks so much to vlissan, phoenix-falling, d1bontemp, Smiffyizdabest, kavbj, UNpReDiCtAbLE lIfE, and Berritmmppic for reviewing.

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

**Chapter Five: An Unsure Start **

"Emily you know that isn't kind." scolded Mrs. Tate "If you all are going to be living together, then I suggest you try real hard to get along."

"Yeah, like that will happen." answered Michael, the leader of the All-Starz.

Hearing enough, Kai opened the door and walked to an open seat by Max pretending not to have heard a thing.

"Well, now that we're all here, lets eat." announced Mrs. Tate. And with that everyone started filling their plates. (Tyson of course double everyone else.) The first dinner in the house went well for most. Ray and Eddy were having a conversation about different attack styles, while Emily, Michael, and Mrs. Tate were filling Max in on recent lab work. Rick was apparently off somewhere. Tyson was too busy stuffing his face to engage in a conversation, so that just left Kai.

Staring blankly at his plate he pretended to actually be eating something. Every once in a while, he'd look up though and notice one of the All-Starz glaring at him. Acting indifferent he would just look away somewhere else. Seriously. He thought. Didn't they have anything better to do? Man could Americans hold grudges. **(Author's Note: I am not being stereotypical; I hope I didn't offend anyone by saying that. I'm American myself.)**

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_

_(A week later)_

After one week of staying with Judy, the Bladebreakers started to fall into a routine. They would get up. Train in the Beyblading room down the basement. Do physical training outside. And then spend the rest of the day around the house or walking around the city.

Kai personally was satisfied by how things were going. Tyson's dad had arrived two days after they did, and he did a good job of controlling Tyson. (Not that Kai had a problem controlling him.) The best part was that the only time Kai actually saw the All-Starz was when they all ate. Most of the time he spent exploring the city, but on this particular night, Kai was actually with his team in Ray's room talking about what school would be like, for tomorrow was their first day.

"I still can't believe we have to get up at seven in the morning." moaned Tyson.

"Um… Tyson, you get up at seven-thirty for Kai's training." pointed out Max

"Yeah well, I don't have to think when I train. I just do what Kai says."

"Like you've ever actually listened to me Tyson." stated Kai.

"That's true. Hey wait a minute I do what you say!" defended Tyson.

"Yeah after he threatens you." laughed Ray.

"Humph! I get no respect around here." pouted Tyson.

"Respect? I would think the World Beyblading champ gets at least some respect." said Michael who just entered the room followed by Eddy.

"Hey guys." greeted Max. "We were just talking about what school would be like."

"Well let me tell you some things about H.C. Brown's High School." said Eddy who attended the school the last two years. "For one, don't mention beyblading."

"What! Why not?" asked Tyson.

"Because the school is against it. They don't understand the whole bit-beast thing and so they think it's some stupid kid's game."

"Yeah, in school the All-Starz don't even exist. We're just Eddy, Rick, Michael, and Emily." filled in Michael.

"Great! It's bad enough we have to go to school, now we can't even discuss beyblading there." said an exasperated Tyson.

"Don't worry. Just hang with Eddy and me, and you guys will fit in just perfect."

"Yeah. Michael and I are pretty popular within the tenth grade." said Eddy with a smile.

"You are all in the tenth grade right?" asked Michael.

"Yep." answered Max.

"Oh really, and here I always thought Kai was a year older then all of you." said Michael with a sly grin.

"I don't know. Are you Kai?" inquired an innocent Tyson.

Glaring straight at Michael Kai answered keeping his voice steady.

"I'm sixteen Tyson. Mr. Dickinson thought it would be best if we all stayed in the same grade."

Leaning over to Eddy but making himself loud enough for Kai to hear, Michael whispered. "That's just a polite way of saying you're too stupid to be in eleventh grade. The two started to chuckle.

Glaring at the two, Kai stalked out of the room, but not before brushing shoulders with Michael.

"What's his problem?" asked Tyson.

"Nothing, just trying to pick a fight probably. Everyone knows he's all bark and no bite though." said a smirking Eddy. "Ok. So back to school. The teachers you need to look out for are-"

_(With Kai)_

"Michael and Eddy could go jump off a cliff." thought Kai walking to his room.

"I'm not even bothered by what they said. It's their cockiness that makes me sick. Where do those two get off calling me stupid? Their IQ is probably -10."

"_You are the most unintelligent little boy. WHACK! How can the Hiwatari heir be so stupid?"_

Stopping dead in his tracks Kai gasped. "Where had that come from?" he thought. It was a memory. But why had he just remembered it now? A cold feeling washed over him. Thinking more into it, Kai realized he remembered that day perfectly. It happened the first week he was at the abbey. Boris had given him a test to take to see how smart he was. By the beating he got, Kai assumed he hadn't done so well.

Entering his room and crashing onto his bed, Kai realized that he was actually nervous about starting school. What if it was the same as it was at the abbey? Then coming to his senses he thought he was crazy to think such a thing. No school teaches like the abbey. He knew that. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling that going back to school was a bad idea.

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_(Next Day)_

The next morning was chaos in the Bladebreakers house. Everyone was running around trying to get ready for their first day. The All-Starz just simply stood out of the way, as they were accustom to getting ready this early. Finally after the last few notebooks were shoved into their backpacks, the Bladebreakers exited the house saying goodbye to Mrs. Tate and Mr. Granger.

'Wow! Crazy morning huh guys?" asked Tyson scratching the back of his head. "I don't think I've ever ran around that much this early."

"That just says how dedicated you are to your training huh Tyson?" laughed Max. Even this early his happy nature was still there.

Walking down the streets of Manhattan, the Bladebreakers were following the All-Starz to their new school. The streets were already crowded even this early in the morning. Avoiding the passer-byers, Ray asked "How far away is the school?"

"It's about a ten minute walk from the house to the school." answered Rick. "But we're already about halfway there."

After a couple more minutes of walking, Kai looked up and was able to see the school in the distance. Finally they had arrived.

Outside the school, there were several groups of kids just sitting around talking.

"In the morning before the bell, the students are supposed to stay outside the school. It's basically the school's way of saying your not are problem until the bell rings." explained Michael.

"You guys should go to the office though. It's right through those doors." pointed out Emily. With that said, the All-Starz all walked away, heading towards different groups.

"Well I guess we should go in." suggested a none to sure Ray. Walking into the building, the Bladebreakers could feel the stares they were getting from the groups of kids. They could hear them whispering, wondering who they were.

Inside the building, the Bladebreakers entered the main office. Going up to what looked like a secretary's desk, Ray decided to find out where to go by questioning a young looking lady seated at the desk.

"Excuse me Miss." the young lady looked up.

"Yes, and what are you doing in here? All students should be outside. Is there a problem? inquired the blonde.

"Um no there's no problem" explained Ray. "We're new students here and we were told to come to the main office." Just then a loud _BRINGGGGGGGGG!!!!!! _Filled the office. Apparently the Bladebreakers wee going to be late for their first day.

Looking over Ray's shoulder the lady finally noticed the rest of the group.

"Oh my! You must be the foreign exchange students. Stanley Dickinson's group right?"

"Yes that's us." answered Max.

"Oh well then here, follow me! By the way, my name is Miss. Cassidy. " said the secretary taking out four sheets of paper on her desk.

Following Miss. Cassidy through the empty halls, the Bladebreakers were able to see into each room through a narrow glass window. In a few rooms some kids were even just staring blankly through the door's window. Turning towards Max, Tyson asked him about something he was wondering.

"Foreign exchange students. Aren't people who don't speak the language hear called that? We all speak English fine." whispered Tyson.

"You're right Tyson. But foreign exchange students are just students who come from other countries. I mean I've lived half my life in Japan, you come from Japan, Ray comes from China, and Kai comes from Russia. So I think we all fill the foreign part quite well." explained Max. Satisfied with the answer, Tyson went back into looking into each room.

"Alright, here are your lockers." said their new secretary pointing to two lockers at the end of a row. "Ray Kon and Kai Hiwatari will share a locker, and Max Tate and Tyson Granger will share another. Here are your combinations." she said handing each boy a slip of paper. Looking at the slip of paper and immediately memorizing it, Kai turned to open his locker. On the other hand, Tyson was having trouble opening his. After about the fourth try, Max decided to do it and had success on the first try.

"Well, I just need some practice." declared Tyson.

After getting all their stuff situated, and gathering what they needed for their first few classes, the Bladebreakers followed Miss. Cassidy to their first class.

"Well here we are. Algebra Year Ten. I believe this is Max's and Tyson's class." she said checking the papers in her hand. "You two wait here." she said looking at Kai and Ray. Then she opened the door to the room and went in, motioning for Max and Tyson to follow.

"Good luck." Ray whispered.

After about two minutes, Miss. Cassidy exited the room and told the remaining boys to follow her. About three doors down from the math room, she stopped in front of another brown door.

"Well here is your guy's room. World Cultures!" she said enthusiastically. Knocking on the door, and hearing a reply, she opened the door and walked into the room with Ray and Kai following behind.

"Hello everyone" she said. "Sorry to interrupt." Then turning to the teacher and whispering something to him, she left Kai and Ray to stare at the class. Well in Ray's case the floor, and in Kai's case… well he didn't even have his eye's open. Finally, Miss. Cassidy stopped whispering and turned to leave, saying bye to Kai and Ray.

"Class." announced the teacher. "These are the two new students I was telling you about. Ray Kon from China, and Kai Hiwatari from Russia. They will be joining our class from now on, and I'd like you to help them get comfortable throughout the school." Finally opening his eyes, Kai scanned the classroom, glaring at anyone that made eye contact.

"You both can take a seat in the back there." said the teacher pointing toward an open table.

Nodding to the teacher, Ray started to walk to the back with Kai following behind. Distinctive murmurs could be heard from the class.

"If boys from Russia look like that." said one girl. "then sign me up for a tour."

"I don't know. The Chinese one is kind of cute" said another.

"Yeah, but why does he look like a cat?"

These were what Kai and Ray heard walking to the back of the room. Both of them ignoring each comment. Finally, after the boys took a seat, the teacher started the lesson again. Leaning over to Kai, Ray whispered.

"This is kind of exciting you know. No one knows who we are. They all want to find out."

"Hn. Yeah. Really exciting." replied Kai. Not real interested in the idea of getting attention.

"Anyway" said Ray ignoring Kai's sarcasm. "This could be a nice change from all the adventures we've had the last few months. Maybe things will be normal for once." Then, intending not get into trouble on his first day, Ray turned to listening to the teacher.

"Yeah" thought Kai the cold feeling washing over him again. "Like things will stay normal now that we're here."

* * *

Well, there you go! Hope you all enjoyed! 


	6. Introductions:Some Friendly, Others Not

Hi everyone! I meant to update sooner, but I've been busy reading the new Harry Potter book. Sorry!

Thanks to kavbj, vlissan, Smiffyizdabest, d1bontemp, Jegnifer, and twin1 for reviewing. Hope you all like this chapter.

**Chapter 6: Introductions: Some Friendly, Others Not**

The Bladebreakers first class that day went well. In Ray and Kai's class, they were learning about Ancient Greece. In Max and Tyson's class, well they still weren't sure what they were learning about, but hey it _was_ only the first day. After their first class, they met up with each other in the hall. Walking in the hallway to their next classes, the Bladebreakers noticed how much attention they were getting. Ray, Kai, and Max decided to just ignore the whispers going on around them, while Tyson was just soaking in all the attention he was getting.

Reaching the gymnasium, Max said his goodbyes and went off for his next class. Entering the gymnasium, the remaining bladers could immediately tell that H.C. Brown's High School was definitely big on sports. The gym was enormous. The main part was a basketball court, but if you went up a set of stairs, you would end up in an area with a bunch of training equipment.

Spotting a man in the center of the gym holding a clipboard, assuming he was the teacher, Ray started toward him, motioning for the others to follow. Reaching the man, Ray noticed he wasn't very tall, and was actually about his height. Kai was actually taller than him.

"Excuse me sir." Turning to the voice, the man looked over and saw Ray.

"What?" the man replied in a gruff voice.

"We're the new students here. Are you the gym teacher?" asked Ray.

"Yeah I'm the teacher." Then looking over the other two the man raised his eyebrows.

"Well, at least I was given boys who are in shape. Do you fellas do any sports?" About to respond, but then remembering what Michael had said about not mentioning Beyblading, Ray settled with a simple "No."

"Humph. Too bad. Well, you can start class tomorrow. You'll all need an extra pair of clothes to change into. The locker room is over there." he said pointing to a set of stairs leading downstairs. "For now, just sit on the steps leading upstairs. You can work on some homework."

"Thanks Mr…"

"Call me Coach Martin." and with that he blew his whistle and started to rally up his class.

Walking over to the stairs, Max whispered to Ray.

"At least we weren't introduced in front of the whole class."

"You can say that again." responded Ray.

The rest of class, Max and Ray talked with each other. Halfway through, Michael and Eddy came over to talk. Apparently they were in the same class. Kai would occasionally open his eyes, and when he did, he saw that the other students kept looking over at them.

After gym, the Bladebreakers went to there next classes and until lunch, everything went well.

At 11:20, the Bladebreakers went to the cafeteria, bought some food, and then proceeded to find a table. Unfortunately for Kai, Tyson spotted Michael and Eddy at a table with a group of friends.

"Hey, I bet we can sit with Michael and Eddy." said Tyson who was already making his way over to their table. Ray and Max followed, and a reluctant Kai did as well.

"Hey Michael!" called Tyson "mind if we take a seat?" Looking away from his friends Michael looked at the group. Behind him, the rest of the table looked on with curiosity.

"Sure. Here, take a seat and I'll introduce you guys." Sitting down at the table, and relieved that they had found a seat, the Bladebreakers looked at the occupants of the table.

"Well this is Zac." he said pointing to a kid with orange hair and wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Zac waved hi in an almost comical way after being introduced.

"This is Tony." directing his hand to the boy sitting next to Tyson. He had on an army green jacket with a light green T-shirt underneath. He was also wearing jeans.

"That is Christie." A girl with shoulder length brown hair said hi. She styled a pink sweater and brown corduroys.

"And finally, this is Natalie." While saying this he put his arm around the girl sitting next to him. She had black hair that went halfway down her back. She was wearing a red halter top and had on a jean mini skirt with high heels.

"Are you going to introduce your friends?" Natalie asked

"Yeah. You guys this is Max, Tyson, Ray, and… uhh… Kai." Saying Kai's name like he had just remembered he was part of the group.

"They were friends I met when I went to Japan." explained Michael. "Eddy knows them too."

"So you guys are the foreign exchange students everyone is talking about. Do.. You….Understand…Me?" said Natalie as if they were deaf.

"Umm. Yeah. We're just from other countries. We all speak English just fine." explained Tyson.

"Oh, well welcome to America." said Christie. "How do you like the school so far?"

"I guess it's okay." replied Ray. Speaking for the first time since they sat down.

"Well, is it better than your last school?" asked Zac while stuffing a spoon full of potatoes in his mouth.

"Actually, this is the first school I attended. I was educated by the elders in my village."

"What, are you serious?!! You've never been to school before?" asked an astounded Zac.

"Nope."

"What about the rest of you." inquired Tony.

"Well, I went to school in Japan. Max went to school in New York before he moved to Japan. And Kai…Well, I'm not exactly sure." said Tyson as if he were in deep thought.

"How lucky are you guys! I've had to go to school my whole life." said an exasperated Zac.

"Wow! If you guys missed school for all those years, then you'll probably have trouble with the curriculum here. I'd be happy to tutor you guys if you need it." offered Christie.

"That would definitely be appreciated. Thanks." said Ray looking at Christie with a charming smile.

_RINNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!_

"Well, that's first bell. Wouldn't want to miss math. It's practically at the opposite end of the building." said Zac. With that, he and Tony threw their trays away and left.

"We have to get going too. See you guys later." said Eddy. With that, Michael, Eddy, Christie, and Natalie all left. Once out of the cafeteria, Kai got up ready to leave.

"Hey Kai, we still have five minutes." said Tyson with a mouth full of food.

"Hn." as usual was Kai's response.

"Well can I at least finish your food. You barely have eaten anything."

"Sure" and with that Kai pushed his tray over to Tyson and walked out of the cafeteria.

Once reaching the outside hall he immediately took a step back. For Natalie shot right in front of him.

"Hey, I don't think we were properly introduced at the table. Maybe we could get to know each other if I gave you a tour of the school." she said in a nauseating sweet voice. Kai knew better. He saw her eyeing him up the entire lunch. "Pathetic girl." he thought.

"No thanks." he said coldly. Then he tried to push pass her, but she caught his arm.

"Well, then maybe after school, we could get together and I could show you the sights of New York." she pursued. Now turning to face her, Kai glared at her saying-

"I said no. I have better things to do with my-" He was cut off because at that time Michael spotted them and started stalking over.

"Here we go." thought Kai.

"Hey Hiwatari! What do you think your doing?" Michael bellowed.

Looking at Kai with a smirk of her own, apparently upset over being rejected, Natalie said in the most innocent voice.

"Michael thank goodness. Your friend here was trying to hit on me. I told him I was with you, but he was persistent.

Now turning to Kai, (who honestly was unaffected by the whole thing, but still ticked at having this girl think she could get back at him) Michael managed the best glare he could.

"Listen here Hiwatari. You may think your big and tough, but at this school, I'm the one calling the shots. So don't you dare mess with me or my girl. Got it."

Smirking, Kai answered back

"Is that a threat? Wow, haven't we grown some backbone." And with that, he brushed past Michael and turned down another hall.

It was Kai's free period, so he didn't have specific destination. He was just exploring the school. Thinking back to what just happened. Kai smirked. Michael threatening him. That was a laugh. Like Kai was going to just drop on his knees and plead with Michael.. There was nothing that he could do that would be worse then what he'd already been through. Suddenly a searing pain shot through Kai's head. Dropping his books, as he fell to one knee.

"_You think you can defy me boy. I'm the one in charge, and I'll make sure you remember that. WHACK!!"_

Then, the pain left Kai as suddenly as it had come. Gasping, Kai was thinking furiously trying to compose himself. "Why? Why do I keep hearing Boris's voice. He's gone. He's no where near here." Continuing to try to reassure himself, Kai stood up and checked to make sure no one had seen what happened. Seeing an empty hallway, Kai took a deep breath and tried pushing what happened out of his mind. Unfortunately, the rest of the day he couldn't shake the memory he'd seen. He could have even sworn he felt the cracking of the whip against his back.

* * *

There you guys go. It may be awhile till my next update because my uncle is coming to visit and he's staying with us. You know, less computer time. 

Well, I hope you all enjoyed. See Ya!


	7. Igniting Determination

Well, I'm back!

Thanks to Jegnifer, phoenix-falling, vlissan, Smiffyizdabest, d1bontemp, and kavbj for reviewing. And thanks and welcome to my new reviewers DancerInTheDark, C1-J2, and apple starz.

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

Wow, writing that really can ruin a mood.

**Chapter 7: Igniting Determination**

After the Bladebreakers first day of school finally ended, they gladly walked back to their house exhausted from their long day.

"Man am I bushed. I thought the day would never end." sighed Tyson dropping onto a sofa after immediately entering the living room.

"Oh come on Tyson. You can sit and beyblade for hours, but a day at school wears you out." said Max with happy grin.

"Yeah, and you slept through half your classes." added Ray shaking his head.

"Well I can't help it if the teachers are boring." defended Tyson.

"That _is_ true. Our science teacher, Mr. Gorat, he almost put me to sleep within the first five minutes he started talking. Good thing Ray's my lab partner. He was who woke me up." said Max.

"You have Ray as a lab partner! That's lucky. I got stuck with Kai as mine. If I fall asleep, he'll probably pour a bucket of water on my head to wake me up." complained Tyson who was glaring at Kai. Unlucky for him it was reflected right back.

"Oh come on Tyson you know he only did that once." said Ray with a cheeky grin. "Besides, it wasn't luck Max and I got paired up. If you haven't noticed, the school year has been going on for about three months, and everyone already had a partner."

Just then, Tyson's father walked into the room. He had sweat dripping from his face, and was wearing an oven mitt on both hands with an apron tied around his waist.

"Whoa dad! What happened to you?" exclaimed Tyson.

"Oh this. I've just been helping Judy in the kitchen." Bruce answered with an embarrassed look on his face.

"She sent me in here to tell you guys to start your homework."

"What! We just got back from school." whined Tyson.

"Well I'm sorry, but she said no beyblade practice until you finish your school work."

"Oh sure. We practice less and the All-Starz will get one up on us." mumbled Tyson. "I see her plan."

"Tyson, you know that the only All-Star here is Rick. Michael, Emily, and Eddy are all at baseball, tennis, and basketball practice." reminded Ray.

"And if you weren't sitting on your lazy butt and actually started your work, then maybe we could start practice." added Kai, who spoke for the first time since they arrived back.

"Well then, I'll just leave you boys to work." and with that Bruce Granger left the room.

Reluctantly, the Bladebreakers opened their books and started to work on their homework. Max and Tyson trying to make sense of their algebra while Ray engrossed himself in ancient Greece. Pulling his own black book bag over his shoulder, Kai made to leave the room.

"Hey! You were the one that just told me to get working. Where are you going?" shot Tyson.

"I already finished my work. When you're finished trying to attempt your math. Find me and we'll start training. However many hours we miss of training on school nights, you can guarantee we'll make up on Saturday." said an indifferent Kai. Then, he left to go to his room.

"I already finished my work." imitated Tyson once Kai was out of ear shot. "Sure he did. He's probably doing it upstairs and just said that to make us look stupid."

"I really doubt that Tyson." said Max who was chewing on his pencil trying to figure out a problem.

"Hey Ray, how do you start this?" asked Max, handing Ray the book. After about a minute of studying the problem. Ray took Max's notebook.

"Here Maxie. Let me show you." and with that they started their first night of homework.

_

* * *

_

Walking up the red, carpeted stairs Kai noticed all the pictures that were placed on the wall. Judy wasted no time in moving in that was for sure. The first picture was of the All-Starz right before the American tournament. Kai could tell by how young they all looked. The next was of all the beybladers who had helped during the BEGA tournament. Kai realized it was taken at camp grounds, so it must have been before he joined back with the Bladebreakers.

The last picture he smirked at. He kept one just like it in his duffel bag. It was of his team after the World Championships in Moscow. In the picture it looked like Tyson and Max were having a tug of war over who got to hold the trophy. Ray was a little aside from them looking pretty embarrassed. Then there was himself who was leaning against the wall behind them. It looked like he was ignoring the whole thing, where truthfully he had been trying to control himself from yelling at Max and Tyson to grow up. He normally would not have had a problem with it, but he remembered why he didn't. That day had been one of the best in his life. He had defeated Boris and his grandfather. Freed Tala and the others from Biovolt. And he couldn't have been more proud of his team.

Continuing his way to his room he wished that that day truly could have meant the end of his grandfather's schemes. Reaching his room he threw his book bag on the floor and went over to the window.

The November snow had left a blanket covered tree and a white sea outside. Opening the window he climbed out and using the tree for footing he climbed onto the roof of the house. Clearing a spot, he sat at the edge of the roof.

He needed a secluded place to clear his head, and he knew no one would bother him up here. Whenever they had been at a tournament he would never leave to far from his team. He always liked to keep an eye on them. The times he would 'mysteriously disappear' he would usually just be on the roof of where they were staying. It was private, and it helped clear his mind. He had never minded the cold due to growing up in Russia where it snowed constantly.

Looking out at the view, Kai could see miles and miles of cars and buildings. The sound of people talking and shouting could be heard below.

Closing his eyes he tried to think of a solution to what was going on while the wind blew in his ears. He had already decided that he wouldn't tell Tala or the others. They had enough problems without him dumping this on them. It was probably just stress that was causing these hallucinations. Were they even hallucinations? They felt so real. Frustrated at not knowing, he opened his eyes again and tried to think about something else.

After about three quarters of an hour, he decided he should go back inside. It would not help if everyone started to look for him. Besides, it could not take Tyson this long to do ten math problems. Then again this was Tyson he was taking about.

Jumping back through his window he landed on his feet. Hearing Max and Tyson fighting from downstairs he assumed they had finished. Taking out his beyblade he looked down and rubbed his finger over the empty chip in the middle. Longing for his Dranzer he walked downstairs ready to start training his team again. They hadn't done any serious training since the last tournament. He couldn't find it in his heart to train without Dranzer, but he knew that he couldn't just quit blading. It was practically his whole life. What he had been raised to do. Deciding that he would have to face the music one day, he called for his team and made his way down to the training room. Once down there he saw four dishes lined up next to each other, computer systems that analyzed their blades, a shelf filled with new blading parts, and then a another door which led to what looked like a bathroom.

Hearing the dynamic duo making their way to the door, Kai stepped aside and narrowly avoided being trampled down the stairs by Max and Tyson. Both of whom landed at the bottom of the stairs with a thud.

"OUCH!!!! MAX GET OFF OF ME!" screeched Tyson

"Sorry." laughed Max. He stood up, and then helped Tyson up.

"You guys okay I heard a crash." said Ray walking down the stairs

"Yeah we're fine." replied the two simultaneously.

"Wow! Look at this room." breathed Ray, who still to this day was fascinated by all technology the All-Starz used to train. Growing up in an isolated village, he had never as so much seen a computer until he met Mr. Dickinson.

"There are modified dishes with different terrain, computers, and everything."

Deciding to break his team of there awe over the new training room, Kai walked over to the first dish.

"Alright. Everyone take a dish and practice launching." he ordered.

His team did as he said and picked a dish. Ray's had a rain forest type terrain. Max had many buildings within his, and Tyson's dish had a long crank that kept revolving around the perimeter. Turning to his own dish he saw that it had many rocks and debris scattered everywhere.

Before long, the room filled with the sound of launching blades and the unremitting cries of "Let it rip!"

After about a half an hour ,Kai, who was dissatisfied that he couldn't get more power into his launch, decided to check to see how his team was doing. Walking by, Kai's eyes only scanned each blader's launch for a second.

"Ray, position your feet farther apart. You're losing power like that. Tyson, don't concentrate so much on power but on control. Max…" he stopped for a second and did a second glance. "Your launch is fine. Just raise your launcher higher to get a better angle."

Happy that he had got a compliment, Max nodded his head enthusiastically. "Sure Kai."

After seeing progress in their launches, he told the team to practice concentrating on spinning in only one spot.

After about an hour of practice, Judy called the Bladebreakers to come wash up for dinner. Happy that practice finished early, Tyson raced up the stairs before Kai could object. Shaking his head, Kai turned to the other two and told them that practice was over.

When Ray and Max had gone he turned back to a dish. After preparing his launcher and readying his stance he pulled his rip cord.

"Let it rip!" he whispered to himself.

The blue blade landed right where he had aimed it in the dish. It was spinning smoothly and for a second Kai had actually thought that it worked. Then, the blade started to wobble and eventually it stopped spinning. Completely frustrated, Kai scooped up his blade and shoved it in his cargo pants pocket.

"I'm going to get this" he told himself. "Even if I have to train three times what I did before, I will get back to my full power."

Walking up the stairs with determination, he felt a long, lost warmth spread through him.

"Dranzer" he breathed.

Then, smiling to himself, he joined his team in the kitchen.

* * *

Well, there you guys go. I wanted to make it longer, but I really wanted to get it up. Hopefully there will be more action in the next chapter. 

Thanks for reading!!

Flaming Ice : )


	8. Inevitable Happenings

Hi again! Sorry It's been awhile.

Thanks to my reviewers d1bontemp, DancerInTheDark, phoenix-falling, vlissan, LadyOfTheBluePhoenix, Kailover2006, ruinsage-sorceress, Canyx, and kavbj. You guys are the best.

First, I'd like to clear something up. In the last chapter, Kai did NOT get Dranzer back. Sorry to disappoint everyone. The presence Kai felt was that even though Dranzer couldn't be with him, she was still around. Like a reminder. Sorry to anyone I might have confused.

For future reference, unless I write otherwise, all of Kai and Tala's conversations are going to be in Russian.

Also, before I start. I don't usually do this, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter to vlissan. She was my first reviewer, and she's been waiting for a certain thing in this chapter. I really hope you enjoy it and that I didn't disappoint you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

Well now on with the story.

**Chapter 8: Inevitable Happenings**

_A shivering boy of no more then nine raced through a thick forest. The harsh wind blowing against his small body. He ran through the trees and the underbrush, dodging everything. A blaze of green was all he noticed. He couldn't afford to waste even a second to acknowledge his surroundings. They were gaining on him; a mere stumble would mean his capture. No. There was no way they would take him back to that place. He had to get away. The thumping of his feet echoed in his ears._

_Barking could be heard in the distance. They were using dogs to track him. He was running as fast as he could, out of breath and shaking with cold. _

"_Bang!" _

_A sharp pain pierced his side. Then all went black._

Bolting straight upright in his bed Kai was panting. A swirl of what he had just seen flashed through his mind.

It was him seven years ago. The first time he had tried to escape from Biovolt. They had sent dogs and a team of Biovolt men after him. He remembered how hard he had tried to run; how the thought of freedom drove him. Then, a bullet had grazed his side and he had fallen.

Subconsciously, he felt the scar that the bullet had left on his left side. Using the back of his hand, Kai wiped cold sweat from his forehead.

Another memory? Doesn't my mind get it? I don't want to see this again he thought. I need to get a grip. Looking at the clock, he saw that it read 4 AM. He still usually slept about another hour, but deciding he probably wouldn't get anymore sleep; he got out of bed and started to get dressed.

Tying up his last shoe, he tried thinking about what caused these memories to keep resurfacing. He had remembered his whole past about two years ago, so why did his mind keep having him relive these past events. Could it have something to do with starting this new school? The abbey was where he was first taught, so maybe since he is going to a new school; it is triggering the memories from the past one. Then, shaking his head he got rid of that thought.

That's just mental. People go to new schools all the time and don't have flashbacks of the old one.

_But other people didn't go to the abbey._

No, but what about that prep school he went to. This didn't happen there.

Frustrated at not being able to find an answer, he snuck out of his room and headed down to train. Beyblading always helped clear his head.

After about two hours of training, Kai went upstairs to finish getting ready for school. After awhile, the household gradually woke up. (Not counting Tyson of course.)

When everyone was finally dressed and ready, they set off for school.

"Guys wait up!"

With the wielder of Dragoon trailing behind.

Entering the school, they set off in different directions. Max and Tyson heading towards their locker, and Kai and Ray heading for world cultures.

_

* * *

_

_(With Max and Tyson)_

"Man, I never got to school on time before. Now look at me. I'm going two days in a row." bragged Tyson.

"Before, you didn't have six different people trying to wake you up." laughed Max.

Reaching their locker, they literally threw their books from last night in and took out the books they needed for math.

"You think maybe we should be a bit more organized?" asked Max.

Looking back at the locker Tyson shook his head.

"Naw."

Shrugging his shoulders, Max closed the locker and set off with Tyson to their next class. On the way, they were stopped when two boys came up to them.

"You guys are the new kids right?" asked the first one. He had jet black hair and dark brown eyes. "My name's Tommy and this is Peter." he said, gesturing to his companion.

"Umm…hi. I'm Ty-"

"Wait a sec. You're Tyson Granger." Tommy said cutting him off.

"And you're Max Tate."

"Yeah! How did you know?" asked a surprised Tyson.

"Well" started Tommy, glancing at Peter nervously.

"I know it's not exactly popular at this school, but we're kind of into beyblading." his voice was now down to a whisper.

"Yeah, and who wouldn't know the Beyblade world champs." added Peter.

Looking at each other for a second, Max and Tyson smiled. They had found at least two people they could talk about beyblading to.

"So you guys are into blading?" asked an eager Max "Do you have a beyblade?"

Excited about being recognized by what they thought to be celebrities, Peter and Tommy immediately launched into a description about their blades. The only thing that broke the smiles from their faces was when the bell rang, signaling them to hurry to class. Making plans to sit with each other at lunch, the new friends walked off in different directions.

"Yes, what is the luck of meeting two other bladers in a school this size." exclaimed Tyson, throwing his fist in the air.

"Well Tyson I hate to break it to ya, but I think your two day streak of being on time has broken."

Looking around, Tyson just noticed how quiet it seemed. The deserted halls could only mean that they were late. Grabbing Max's hand, Tyson started sprinting to their math class.

"OH MAN! HOW COULD WE BE LATE? WE WERE HERE EARLY!" Shaking his head at his friend's behavior, Max allowed himself to be dragged all the way down the hall.

_

* * *

_

_(With Kai and Ray)_

"_Now ancient Greece was a very advanced civilization for its time period. Probably the most advanced of its time. They had jobs, a government system, -"_

The voice of the teacher droned on and on. To Kai it was simply an annoying buzz in his ear. Next to him sat Ray who was surprisingly busy copying notes into his notebook. Honestly Kai didn't understand the point in it. This stuff wasn't even worth remembering. He was more concentrated on finding a way to try and get out of these stupid classes. He hated being cooped up in a room all day. He much preferred to be outside not confined to one place.

He looked forward and noticed a girl starting at him. Noticing he saw her, she quickly looked away.

Well at least she had some sense. Most girls it took a glare to get to turn away he thought. Honestly, what was wrong with the feminine species? They always seemed to obsess over us. And when I say us, I mean Ray and me. I mean come on. You'd think they would settle for normal. Ray's part cat for heaven's sake. He even purrs occasionally. But nooo, they still go as far as stalking him. Go figure. And as for me, what could they possibly think was interesting. Not my magnetic social personality that was for sure. I did once have a fan girl ask if I dyed my hair or wore colored contacts. Tyson got a kick out of that one. That couldn't be it though. As far as appearance goes, I had always been labeled a freak. I mean how many people naturally have two different hair colors. Blue for that matter. And as for my eyes. I hated them. Crimson. The color of blood. Voltaire had told me on numerous occasions that they were the eyes of the devil. That I doomed anyone I came into contact with. That much might possibly have been true.

Urghh! Why does everything always go back to Biovolt?

Despite having an inner battle, Kai's exterior was still calm. It wasn't until Ray tapped him that he showed signs of frustration.

"Kai the bell rang. You ready to go?" said a hesitant Ray.

"Hn." Kai collected his books, while ignoring Ray's questioning look, and started for the door.

In the hall, the two headed to their lockers to put their books away. They grabbed their gym bags and headed to the gymnasium. When they arrived, they headed down to the boys locker room. It turned out that Tyson had beaten them there and was already arguing with Michael about who was the better athlete.

"Please Tyson. You may be about an ounce better at beyblading then me, but I could run circles around you in any other sport." said Michael cocking his head.

"You wish. I bet I'm able to keep up with you with whatever we do in gym." challenged Tyson.

"Sure." was the sarcastic remark.

Ignoring the two, Ray and Kai found two empty lockers and dropped their books down. While changing into his gym clothes, Ray noticed that Kai looked a bit apprehensive- almost like he was debating with himself.

"You okay Kai?"

Looking at Ray, Kai nodded his head and then proceeded to take off his shirt. It didn't take Ray long to figure out what Kai had been debating about. Faint scars covered the most part of Kai's perfectly shaped torso. Each one looked as if it had almost been perfectly placed-in a pattern. One of the ones that stuck out was a long scar that ran the length of Kai's hip. Ray didn't have much time to stare though, because Kai had his gym shirt on in one swift movement. If it hadn't been for his neko-jin eyes, then he probably wouldn't have even seen anything.

"Kai, what are…where did you get those marks?" he gasped.

Kai knew this would happen. Just another 'perk' of going back to school. Luckily he had thought ahead; he had the perfect answer for Ray.

"Those are just a result of my battle with Brooklyn." he answered in a monotone.

"You got all those from just one beybattle? How did they heal and scar so quickly? It's been less than a month."

Sighing, Kai turned toward Ray.

"First of all, _you_ try battling Brooklyn and see if you come out in perfect health. And second, most of these are from my first battle with him. So yes it has been more than a month, and even if it hadn't, I'm a pretty fast healer." Everything Kai said came out so candidly, that Ray just shrugged off any suspicions and assumed Kai was being truthful. Knowing no more would be said about the topic, Ray shut his locker, and went off to find Tyson.

Relieved that Ray had bought his excuse, Kai finished getting changed, and headed back upstairs to the gym.

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by slowly. The only change from yesterday was that the Bladebreakers gradually started to make friends throughout the day. At lunch, Tyson and Max were sitting next to Tommy and Peter, and were completely engrossed in a hushed conversation about attack strategies. 

Ray had found a few friends, and was sitting at a table with another boy and three other girls. All who were interested about what it was like growing up in a secluded village and never having to go to school.

"It's not like we never learned anything." tried to justify Ray.

"The Elders taught us a bunch of things. Just different from what we're learning here."

One of the girls turned and whispered in the others ear. Immediately the girl turned a shade scarlet and started giggling. Ignoring his two friend's behavior, the boy next to Ray asked him another question.

"Did you guys have electricity at your village?"

"Not really. We got our water from a stream near our village, and if we ever ran out of food from our farms, we would send a group down to Hong Kong to get some. We never knew anyone outside the village so we didn't need any phones. Basically we were pretty isolated. That was the reason I left; I wanted to get out and see more of the world." explained Ray.

"Man, I don't think I could ever live like that." said the boy, trying to imagine a life without a television and a computer.

"Wait a sec. You've been to Hong Kong. Oh my gosh what was it like!" screeched one of the girls.

The rest of the lunch hour Ray spent recalling his trips to the bustling city. Although he was a bit taken aback by the girl's behavior, he found he actually enjoyed the attention he was receiving.

* * *

The cafeteria's roar of chatter and gossip was a mere buzz outside. Kai, who had been trying to find a secluded place to think, had ended up outside where a bunch of lunch tables were set up for when the weather was nice. Despite the drifting snow, Kai had found the peacefulness he had been looking for. Wiping off one of the seats, Kai sat down and decided he should do some schoolwork. Better now than later. 

After about halfway through the lunch period, Kai's cell phone rang. Pulling out a shiny black phone, Kai answered already knowing who it was. (He only gave his number to a select few people. Three of which were about a room away from him.)

"Hello"

"Kai its Tala. Listen, I have really urgent news." The anxious voice of his friend caught Kai's attention. Something must have happened.

"What's wrong?"

The other line was silent for a minute. Kai could tell Tala was debating about something.

"Kai…I'm just going to say it okay. Boris and Voltaire have escaped form prison."

* * *

Well now that should hold a couple of you in suspense. I tried to make it longer than usual because I won't be able to update that much. I start back to school in a couple days. How ironic the title of this is _Back To School_. Too bad the Bladebreakers won't be transferring to my school. (0o0 sits back and daydreams.) 

Well, hope you all liked it.

Till next time

-FlamingIce


	9. Inapposite Behavior

Hey everyone. I am _so_ sorry for the long wait. I have been packed with school work. Luckily in the last two days I've been on a major writing high. I wrote half of this chapter at one in the morning, and then the other half at two in the morning. I would've posted it yesterday, but I've been fighting my mom, brother, sister, and dad for the computer. Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes.

Thank you so much to my faithful reviewers: vlissan, kavbj, twin1, XSilentX-XShadowsX, phoenix-falling, geko-blackjack, Canyx, Lichtblick, and Morningstar Alchemist!

Hope I can please everyone with this chapter.

**Chapter 9: Inapposite Behavior**

"Kai…I'm just going to say it okay. Boris and Voltaire have escaped from prison."

"…."

"Umm…Kai? Are you there?"

Kai had his eyes closed tight. The news was like an unexpected blow to the stomach. His breath was caught in his throat, and everything around him just seemed to disappear. Boris and Voltaire, the two people who had ruined his life, were free again; free to walk the streets and do as they pleased. And Kai knew exactly what they would do-come after him. He had destroyed their plans one too many times, and for that he knew he was going to pay the price.

"KAI! ANSWER ME!"

Tala's voice brought Kai back to earth.

"Yeah…Yeah I'm here Tala." he couldn't prevent his voice from shaking, but it was Tala he was talking to so there was no need for any masks.

"I'm sorry Kai, I wish I could have given you better news." The red head felt terrible having to be the one to tell Kai, but if he didn't, Kai wouldn't forgive him for leaving him in the dark.

"Hey listen. Bryan, Spencer, Ian, and I were talking; and if you want us to we could come to America with you." At this statement Kai lashed out.

"I don't need you to hold my hand Tala! I'm more than capable of taking care of myself!" He couldn't help himself. He was so frustrated that they had escaped, that he had to take his anger out on someone. As soon as he said this though, he regretted it. Tala and the other Blitzkrieg Boys were his closest friends and all they wanted to do was help.

"I'm sorry Tala. Listen, I'll call you back later. I…I need some time to think."

"It's fine. Just keep an eye out Kai. You know how devious Biovolt can be." With that said he disconnected.

Putting his phone away Kai tried to suppress his thoughts. If he started to think about Biovolt and Voltaire now, he would surely end up losing it. Not to mention he'd probably have one of those flashbacks. That's it! Maybe these memories he's been seeing were trying to warn him that Voltaire was about to escape. But is that even possible? Errrrr! Why couldn't he find a simple answer to any of this?

"BRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG!" The bell suddenly rang, but Kai was still so perplexed with his thoughts that he didn't even think twice about it. I need to think. Forget this school, it's not like I'll miss anything. With that he walked off the school grounds not even giving it a second thought.

* * *

The school day had finally ended and the Bladebreakers, Emily, and Rick were walking to the house. 

"You know guys; I think I'm starting to actually like school."

Every one of the teens walking beside Tyson stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the dragon wielder as if he had grown a second head.

"What?" Tyson asked innocently.

"_You_ liking school. Oh man the universe must be ready to explode," said Max.

Rolling his eyes at Max's statement, Tyson tried to explain what he meant.

"Well I don't like the learning part about it. It's just that we haven't actually done anything this normal in a while and it's kind of a nice break."

"I guess I can understand what Tyson means," said Ray. He had really enjoyed attending a real school, and even though he could do without the boy-crazed girls, he had had a good time talking with his new friend at lunch ,whose name he found out was Brandon.

When the teens finally reached the house, they could smell a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. Tyson ,of course who was always hungry, shoved past the others to get to there first. Sliding across the tiled floor he skidded to a halt to come face to face with his dad.

"Whoa there son. Slow down."

"Sorry dad. What'cha making?" Tyson asked trying to reach catch a glimpse of anything that could be devoured.

"Actually Judy made it. It's chicken parmesan with garlic bread. Smells good huh?"

"Oh dad could I please have a taste," begged Tyson.

"Tyson, if you had a taste, there wouldn't be any food left for the rest of us." said Rick who had just entered the kitchen followed by Ray, Max, and Emily.

"How was school guys?" asked Bruce. He got the usual "okays" and "fine" as a reply. Inwardly sighing he continued trying to find out at least a little about what went on in high school these days.

"Did you meet any new friends?"

"I met this boy named Brandon. He seemed really interested in what it was like growing up in a village," supplied Ray.

"Dad guess what? Max and I met these two boys who are totally into beyblading. We were exchanging battle strategies at lunch!" exclaimed Tyson.

"That's good you're all making friends. Do you have a lot of homework?"

Now with not so much enthusiasm the group nodded. School was okay, but the work wasn't. All of them had trouble keeping up in their classes.

"We should probably start it. Kai will be on our case if we delay training again," said Ray. Then as if a light bulb suddenly went on in his head, his head shot up and started to look around. "Wait a sec! Where the heck is Kai?" Automatically the rest of the occupants of the room started to look around.

"Didn't he come home with you guys?" asked Bruce.

"I thought he did," said Tyson looking in the living room.

"No he didn't. I didn't even think a thing about it. I mean he's always so quiet and stuff that you really don't notice when he isn't there," added Max.

"But this is only his first week in New York. He couldn't possibly know his way around enough to go anywhere," rationalized Ray. He could just about kick himself. He had made a mental note to keep a special eye on Kai and he doesn't even realize when he's not there. Some friend he was.

"I don't see what the big deal is. He's just abandoning you guys as usual without even giving an explanation," added Emily with disgust.

"Emily please. Now who was the last to see him?" Bruce said trying to get to the bottom of this.

"The last time I saw him was before lunch. We walked to the cafeteria together. But then I found Peter and Tommy and went and sat with them," said Tyson. "But Ray shares a locker with him so he should have been the last to see him." Everyone then turned and looked at Ray who was still inwardly kicking himself. If anything even more so now.

"I hadn't seen him since gym. Now that I think about it though his jacket was gone after lunch. I guess I figured he took it to his next class and wasn't going back to the locker," mused Ray.

"HE DITCHED SCHOOL!" shouted an astounded Emily.

"That's not important. Right now we have to find him."

Bruce tried to remain calm and think logically, but he couldn't for the life of him think why this kid did some of the things he did. He had always thought Kai a little odd, but he always assumed he was just a bit quiet. Recently, however, he'd found out about how he treated his team and how even Tyson the nosiest person around new little about him. Call it parent intuition, but Bruce didn't exactly think this boy was a good influence on his son. Especially if this was how he usually acted.

Grabbing his jacket, Bruce headed for the door. He better not have to look very far. Then right as he reached for the handle, the door opened and it was all he could do to not crash into a mess of duo colored hair. Catching himself, he took a step backward and sure enough the person he had been leaving to find was right there.

"Kai?"

Glancing at Bruce, Kai maneuvered his way around him. He was in no mood to be interrogated. Hopefully, everyone would just leave him alone. Heading for the stairs though, Kai realized that this was just not his day.

"Kai where have you been? You had everyone worried," said Bruce. Then as if on cue, Emily walked in. "Please. Definitely not everyone."

Ouch that hurt, thought Kai. Why does she always have to put her word in?

Reaching the stairs, Kai started up them acting like he didn't here what either had said.

"KAI! LISTEN TO ME!" bellowed Bruce. Finally giving into the inevitable, Kai turned around to face Bruce. He hated when someone yelled. He had had too much of it when he was little.

"What?"

Remembering first that Emily was I in the room he turned to her. "Emily, could you leave us alone for a second?" Stalking away, she left the room in a silence.

"Well, are you going to give me an explanation" asked Bruce, turning again to Kai, "or do you just find it normal to ditch school without telling anyone and then show up late."

"Honestly Mr. Granger I do not think that I owe anyone an explanation of where I go or what I do" said Kai keeping his voice monotone.

Counting to ten before replying back Bruce tried again. "Kai, this is a new school and a new home, not just some game. You can't do whatever you want, especially if you don't tell anybody. I was simply worried about where you were. It had to be somewhere important if you left school for it."

"I went to Central Park. Happy now?" asked Kai.

Bruce, however, was getting more mad. He actually had a lot of patient when coming to kids; he even condoned small things like getting a bad grade or being late once in a while. But this boy in front of him was just completely disrespectful, and that really irked him. He had always taught Tyson to respect his elders and to obey them, but it was as if this boy didn't know the meaning of respect. He had just back talked him twice.

"Listen here Kai. I will not tolerate any kind of disrespect from you. I don't know how exactly you were raised to behave, but while you're living in this house, you'll follow the same rules as everyone else. And although it seems you were never disiplined, in here if you disobey me you will have to face consequences."

Kai's body immediately became tense. How dare this man accuse him of never being disiplined! He new for a fact he had faced more punishment then _anyone_ in this house. Suddenly images of various types of torture flashed through his mind. All of them memories. _Whippings, beatings, electrocution, needles. _All of these were happening to him over again, he could feel each one as if it was happening to his flesh right then. Dropping to his knees Kai caught himself with his hands. "Arrhhh" he couldn't help the small cry. All this at once was just too much.

"Kai!" He could here Bruce at his side. His voice was suddenly filled with worry.

"Get away from me," he grinded out through his teeth. He couldn't let anyone see him this weak. His head was throbbing, and the pain shooting through his body was searing. Then all at once the pain went away.

Sitting on his knees, Kai tried to regulate his breathing. Trying to compose himself, he started to stand up shakily. He was highly aware of Bruce next to him, but it wasn't until he put his hand on Kai's arm that he acknowledged him. Snapping his head to face him, Kai slapped his hand away.

"Don't you _ever _touch me," Kai hissed. Then before Bruce could even respond, Kai turned and sprinted up the stairs into his room closing it with a bang.

Left standing on the stairs, a dumbfounded Bruce Granger stood wondering what the heck happened. He new one thing however- he was definitely going to find out.

* * *

Once in his room Kai crashed to the floor with his back to the door. (AN/ Hey that rhymes) Looking at his hands he realized that he was still shaking. What had just happened had not just been a normal memory. He could actually feel what was happening to him- feel his body being tortured and beaten. What the heck was wrong with him? 

Filling with frustration, he pounded his fists to the floor. Not only had he just showed complete weakness in front of Bruce, but he had almost collapsed from the pain. Whenever he had taken punishments at the abbey he rarely ever passed out no matter what they dealt him. Now he almost did just because of a simple flashback. Gosh was he pathetic. Leaning his head back against the door, he couldn't help but think if he was truly starting to go mad.

* * *

Entering the kitchen still in a daze, Bruce faced five eager teens. Apparently Emily had spread the news of Kai's return. 

"Well, what did he say?" asked Max.

"Did you yell at him?" inquired Tyson who couldn't even picture the Great Kai Hiwatari actually being scolded.

Pushing through the group, Bruce headed over and leaned against the counter.

"Do any of you know where Judy is?"

"She's doing the wash. Are you alright Bruce? You seem a little out of it," stated Emily.

Looking up he realized he was probably worrying the kids.

"Don't worry. I'm fine," he said. Then waving his hand at them he headed for the laundry room.

"Wow! Kai's even able to put _your_ dad in a daze." stated Max.

"Wonder what happened?" pondered Ray. The teens all looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, deciding it would probably be best to wait to ask later.

* * *

"Judy!" Bruce called, "you in here?" Entering the laundry room, Bruce spotted the blonde haired scientist folding a pair of blue socks. 

"Oh hey Bruce. Emily told me that you guys couldn't find Kai. Is everything okay?"

"Ummm…I'm not sure. I found him though. He came home about ten minutes ago."

Moving on to fold one of Michael's jerseys, Judy noticed Bruce was out of it.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Turning to directly face her, Bruce had a quizzical look on his face.

"Judy, do you know anything about this Kai kid?" Thinking for a moment, Judy realized that even someone as informal as her didn't really know anything about the boy. She knew Voltaire was his grandfather, but that was about it.

"No. I don't actually. Why? What happened?"

"Well I confronted when he came home and started to tell him how he should take this new school and home seriously, but all he did was stand there and be disrespectful. I started to yell at him, but then something really weird happened. His eyes suddenly glazed over and he dropped to his knees. He even started to groan in pain. I bent next to him to see if he was okay, but he told me to get away. He just kneeled there and then tried to get up. When I tried to help him though, he shoved my arm back and told me not to touch him. Then he bolted up the stairs," explained Bruce.

Turning away from the dryer now, Judy's attention was caught. Whenever Max had written letters to her to tell her about his battles and everything, he never failed to mention Tyson and Ray, but somehow he never mentioned Kai. Even when she asked about him Max didn't really know anything. Perhaps this Kai was more of an enigma than she thought.

"Honestly Bruce, I know as much about the kid as you do. But we're in charge of the boy now so we should probably keep an eye on him," said Judy.

"You're right, but even Tyson doesn't know a lot about the kid. I mean, I know I shouldn't say this, but I think he's just some stuck up juvenile delinquent looking for trouble." The last part was whispered so nobody else who may have been listening could here.

"Bruce, these boys have been living in various places throughout the world for over two years. They haven't had to follow restrictions or rules outside of the beystadium. Maybe, he's just not used to this place yet. I know that he keeps to himself a lot, but maybe we can try to have him open up," Judy rationalized.

"Fine, but all I know is that I don't want Tyson having someone like Kai being with him all the time, and if this is the type of person he's been hanging out with for these last three years, well then heaven forbid he should start acting like him." With that said Bruce walked out of the room to go and finish making dinner.

"Ah, teenage boys. They definitely make life interesting," Judy said to herself.

* * *

Whoa! That was the longest chapter I've written yet. I really hope all of you guys like it, and I'm really sorry again for the wait. Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner next time. I've had a creativity spark so I'm hoping that will get me going. 

Till next time!

FlamingIce


	10. Friction in the Kitchen

Hi again!

Last chapter I got the most reviews I've ever received for a chapter! Thanks so much to vlissan, kavbj, twin1, DancerInTheDark101, phoenix-falling, d1bontemp, Canyx, Lichtblick, Cailany, missjt, anonymous, Uzumi, snappa, Kais-lil-lover, and BloodRedViolet. Hope I didn't forget anyone.

Sorry it's taken awhile to update.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10: Friction in the Kitchen**

**Simplify and find the variable**

**12(3x + 64) + (4x-3) 43**

Okay, so first you add three to sixty-four. But then what happens to the x? One x cancels out the other? No that's not right either. Erasing his paper for the umpteenth time, Ray was coming dangerously close to making a hole in his algebra homework.

All the material the teachers had been going over the last two days was stuff he had never even heard of. He felt so stupid, but he new it wasn't his fault. He had never gone to an actual school before, and he was never taught things like math, world culture, or grammar. Sure he new the basics, but when you go into things like _"find the standard notation of 30,000,000,000" _well you might as well be speaking another language. Sure Tyson and Max were having trouble, but they had at least heard of this stuff before.

Sighing, Ray dropped his pencil and put his head in his hands.

"Having trouble?" an emotionless voice asked.

Turning around, Ray found his team captain leaning against the wall behind him in his usual position with his eyes closed.

"Kai?"

"No, the Easter bunny," Kai replied sarcastically. Ignoring his last remark, Ray stared at the blue haired teen.

"Where did you go today?" Ray asked.

Opening his eyes, Kai caught Ray in his intense gaze.

"That is none of your business Kon," Kai said warningly. Ray immediately got the hint to drop it.

Walking over towards the neko-jin, Kai looked down at the blotched paper on the table. Looking back up at Ray, Kai had a smirk on his face.

"You have no idea what you're doing do you?" Slightly embarrassed Ray looked at the floor and shook his head.  
Pulling up a chair Kai took the paper from Ray's hand. "The first thing you do is distribute the 12," Kai said.

Looking up, Ray stared back at Kai. "Are you actually going to help me?"

"Don't be so surprised. We can't get any training done around here until you guys actually start learning something," Kai responded with his eyes closed.

With a huge grin on his face, Ray picked up his pencil. He new that that was Kai's way of saying yes. "Okay. So what was that first step again?"

For the next forty-five minutes Ray worked on his homework, with the more than occasional help from Kai. Even though Kai was helping Ray, however, his mind still was wandering a little.

After Kai had gone to his room, he had spent a little more than an hour trying to figure out everything. Finally he decided that no matter what he did he wasn't going to stop the flashbacks he was having, and that no matter what he did he couldn't stop Voltaire and Boris. At least not yet anyway. So despite everything, he was just going to act like he would if nothing was wrong. He couldn't bother his teammates or their families with his problems. So there he sat helping Ray with his algebra homework. That was another thing. He knew that no matter what he tried to do Biovolt would end up getting him. No way would he go down without a fight, but still he knew it would be futile. So instead of running away, Kai decided to maybe try and spend more time with his teammates. He was probably putting them all in danger of Biovolt, but he couldn't bare the thought of them thinking he betrayed them again.

Closing up his algebra book, Ray was thoroughly relieved to be done with his work.

"Kai, I don't think I could thank you enough."

"Hmph. Whatever." Just then, Judy came bustling into the kitchen.

"Hi boys. Dinners almost ready. Do you mind setting the table?" she said.

"Sure. Kai and I just finished working," said Ray.

Glancing at Kai, Judy remembered what Bruce had just told her. Feeling someone's gaze, Kai looked up and started intently at Judy. Looking away, Judy started to busy herself with dinner.

"So, are you boys starting to get used to the idea of living in one place and going to school?" asked Judy pulling the chicken out of the oven.

"Well it's definitely a change not moving around so much. I keep thinking that we're going to leave on a bus or plane any day now," answered Ray setting down some silverware.

"I know what you mean. I travel around all the time because of my job, and I guess I'm sort of restless too. But I do enjoy sitting and having dinner with everyone. Like one big family."

"Yeah, me too. I missed doing that with the White Tigers. I mean the Bladebreakers always ate together, but this is…more homier I guess the word would be. Don't you think Kai?"

Placing down the last plate, Kai answered with the usual "Hn".

"What do you think Kai? Do you like being on the road more or staying in an actual home?" asked Judy.

Thinking for a moment, Kai replied, "No matter where I am, I still have the same thoughts and am still the same person. To me this is as much a "home" as anywhere else I have lived."

Both Ray and Judy were puzzled by what Kai meant, but before either had time to question it, a blue blur came racing through the door soon followed by Max and the rest of the household.

"FOOD!"

Dismissing her previous pondering till later, Judy turned toward Tyson and smiled.

"Alright Tyson. Dinner's ready. As soon as everyone sits down we'll all start eating."

After finding a seat, the house of seven started to fill their plates. Eddie and Michael still were at the gym, so they would eat later.

Soon, the room started to fill with chatter.

"That's why the spin rotation was off," said Emily finishing a conversation with Bruce.

"Hey Rick, is what the teacher said about turtles today really true?" asked Max.

"This is the best food ever!" Tyson told Judy after wolfing down his third helping.

Within all the different conversations, Ray and Kai sat side by side as the only silent ones. Ray was trying to think of how he could start a conversation with Kai that couldn't only be answered with one word. Kai was…well being Kai.

Biting into a piece of garlic bread, Ray suddenly noticed that Kai had barely anything on his plate.  
"Kai, aren't you going to eat more?" Ray whispered. He didn't want to draw much attention to Kai because of what happened earlier.

Sparing a glance at Ray, Kai replied, "I'm not hungry."

Ray new he was lying. Sure he didn't usually eat very much, but he had skipped lunch today too. And if his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, then he couldn't remember the phoenix blader having breakfast either.

"What else have you eaten today that would make you full now?" Ray inquired.

Starting to get a little annoyed at Ray's prying, Kai answered back now more hotly, "I believe I don't ask for your dietary eating habits now do I Kon?"

Pushing Kai's limits as far as possible, he kept going. "I had toast for breakfast, I bought a lunch at school, I had an apple when I got home, and now I'm eating this. Now since you know mine, tell me yours."

Looking straight at Ray, Kai was now in full throttle glaring mode causing Ray to flinch but not back down.

"Drop it _now_," he answered straining his voice. Before Ray had time to answer though, Emily interrupted the conversation.

"You know everyone, I was researching a project on the internet and you'll never guess what I found out," she said this in a voice that would make finger nails on a chalkboard sound pleasant.

"What?" asked Tyson.

"Well it turns out there was a major breakout in a jail today," upon saying this, she directed her eyes to Kai.

Now with his attention gained, Kai realized where she was going with this. Giving her a glare that would make grown men run and hide he mouthed the word "Don't".

Waiting for an explanation but not getting one, Bruce asked, "Why'd you stop Emily?"

Now with a devilish smile on her face, she said, "Well, I think that maybe Kai wants to tell you guys."

Now the entire table was utterly confused and everyone turned to Kai who was clenching his fists. Only Ray noticed this.

"Well somebody tell us!" said an exasperated Tyson.

"It turns out that the leaders of Biovolt, Boris Balkov and Voltaire Hiwatari, both escaped after paying off some of the guards. They are both now nowhere to be found."

The room got deadly quiet and everyone's eyes were on Kai.

Completely baffled by the fact that everyone loved to torture him, Kai went back to his collected composure, trying to reassure himself that everyone would have found out eventually. But why did it have to be so soon? Couldn't Emily have waited till he got passed the idea himself.

"Kai, did you know this?" asked Bruce.

"Hn. And what if I did?" he replied sitting back in his chair.

Wondering where he got this information, he asked, "How did you find out?"

"None of your business."

"I am your legal guardian and yes it is my business."

Now smirking in an almost evil way, Kai answered back with his voice rising, "That's where you're wrong. My_ legal_ guardian is a fugitive hiding out somewhere in the middle of Russia."  
The entire table was flabbergasted that this conversation was even occurring. The whole time everyone's eyes had been going back and forth seeing who would win it.

Frustrated more then he had ever been with Tyson, Bruce gritted his teeth to try and keep his voice steady. "Kai, go to your room now."

Laughing on the inside that this was the worst Bruce could think of, he stood up, pushed in his chair, and stalked from the kitchen. An echoing silence following. It was finally broken in a few minutes following.

"Can I eat his plate?" asked Tyson rubbing his head and smiling.

* * *

Hope you all liked! Please Review! 


	11. Formidable Barriers Breached Sorta

I'm back! (creepy organ plays in background)

Thanks to my reviewers: Raykou-kun, Cailany, phoenix-falling, twin1, Canyx, Uzumi, kavbj, vlissan, Smiffyizdabest, BloobRedViolet, apple.starz, anonymous, or-chan, Balrog Roike, Kais-lil-lover, Miako6, and sesshy-sesshy-girl.

Now on with the story!!!!

**Chapter 11: Formidable Barriers Breached (Sorta)**

"You can't loose your temper so much, Bruce. Yelling at the boy isn't going to do any good," scolded Judy.

After dinner had finished the kids had either dispersed to their rooms or to the training facility downstairs. Now Judy and Bruce were finishing cleaning the kitchen trying to decide how to deal with Kai. Judy thought they should just give him time to adjust and should not be so hard, whereas, Bruce thought the boy needed to be disciplined. Nothing harsh, just grounding him from blading for a week or two. That always worked on Tyson.

"You can't get through to the boy any other way, Judy. He'll just sit there and ignore you. If we don't do something about him, then the other kids might start thinking they can get away with anything."

Finishing wiping a dish, Judy couldn't help but agree with Bruce. She didn't like to punish kids, if it was up to her, she would rather sit down and have a talk with them rather than deprive them of things. But a talk with Kai- that would futile, even she knew that.

"Okay, one week from blading. But Bruce, when you go talk to him, try to be civil. Maybe you can find out what's bothering him."

Getting up from his seat, Bruce started to head for the upstairs. Reaching the top, he found Ray pacing back and forth in front of Kai's door.

"Ray?" he asked.

Startled, Ray jumped about two feet. His cheeks became a faint shade of pink at being caught pacing in front of Kai's door.

"Oh… Hey Bruce. I was just…admiring the pictures hung on this wall," he said with a cheesy grin.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at him. "Ray, you and I both know you can't lie."

"Yes sir," Ray replied. He motioned for Bruce to follow him into the closest room which happened to be Eddie's.

"So what were you doing exactly?" Bruce asked once the door was closed.

"Well, I was trying to come up with a reason I could ask Kai if I could come into his room," he said.

Seeing the look on Bruce's face, Ray immediately tried to clarify what he meant.

"No, no… Not for that reason Bruce. Believe me I'm 100 straight."

Bruce visibly took a sigh of relief.

"It's just that I need to talk to Kai and if I don't have a good reason to, I doubt he'll let me in."

Figuring away this could help the both of them, Bruce turned to Ray.

"You know Ray, Judy sent me up here to talk to Kai. I'm supposed to tell him he is grounded from blading for a week. If you need a reason, you can tell him I sent you to deliver that message. After what happened at dinner, I think it would be best if we kept our distance for a while."

"You're going to ground Kai from _blading_?" Ray asked in disbelief. "Not to question your authority, but I pretty sure Kai would go on a killing rampage," laughed Ray.

"It is up to Judy and I to take care of you kids, and we aren't going to let one boy ruin this time we're spending together. Just give him the message, and we'll be the ones to enforce it."

Nodding his head, Ray agreed to tell Kai.

"Thanks Ray." And with that Bruce left.

Heading for Kai's door, Ray became nervous about what he was going to do. He knew something was bothering Kai, and he needed a reason to enter his room so he could talk with him. Well he got his reason. He thought sarcastically. Pictures of Kai slicing him into pieces after being told he couldn't blade filled his mind. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Ray knocked on the door. Kai may be a little angry at the news, but after all he was the most rational of the group.

After waiting two minutes, no one answered the door. Knocking again, Ray waited patiently. Still no one. Turning the knob himself, he took a cautious step into Kai's room. It was empty. Looking around, he took in close details of the room. Everything was painstakingly neat. He had always been the one to share a room with Kai, and he knew he was a perfectionist, but it almost looked as if no one inhabited this room. His desk had a lone pen on it with a few sheets of paper. His dresser was completely clear, his bed was made, and his black boots were perfectly aligned in front of the bed.

Well I least I know he didn't leave Ray thought. Suddenly, Ray felt a shiver run down his spine. Looking around, Ray noticed that the window was open.

It's snowing out. Why in the world would Kai have the window open? He thought. Then, suddenly having an epiphany, Ray ran towards the window.

He wouldn't. He tried convincing himself.

Looking out the window, he looked down. No footprints. Now he was out of ideas.

"Next time you enter my room, I would appreciate you asking for permission."

Startled by the voice, Ray jumped, and hit his head on the top of the window. Rubbing it, Ray scowled at being caught off guard twice in one day. Trying to locate the source of the emotionless voice, Ray glanced up and saw a scarf hanging from the roof. Leaning farther out the window, Ray could make out the silhouette of Kai at the top of the roof. His head was sitting on top of his one leg while the other dangled over the edge. Even though both his eyes were closed, he had still somehow noticed Ray.

"Kai, what the heck are you doing up there?" called Ray. He was freezing just from leaning out the window for a couple minutes, Kai, who should be a human popsicle by now, appeared unaffected by the icy weather.

Seeing Kai stand up, Ray took a step back from the window, welcoming the warmth of the room. A minute later, the duo-haired blader entered the room landing perfectly on his feet.

At this point in time, Ray was truly beginning to think that his captain wasn't human. Who the heck could perform a stunt like that? He was a neko-jin, but even he was doubting whether he'd be able to land as gracefully as that.

"What is it that you want Ray?" Bringing Ray out of his daze, Ray racked his brain trying to remember the exact reason he had come to Kai's room.

"Well?"

"Um…Oh yeah! Bruce wanted me to tell you-" he trailed off a little unnerved at how Kai was studying him.

"Yes," Kai urged on.

"Hewantedmetotellyouthatyou'regroundedfrombladingforaweek," Ray said in one breath.

"Ray," Kai said, "repeat what you said only this time slower."

"Bruce said that you're grounded from blading for one week. Please don't shoot the messenger," he said holding his hands in front of him.

Walking over to his bed, Kai laid down putting his hands behind his head.

"Is that it?" he said smirking to himself.

A little confused, Ray looked over at Kai in disbelief.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah, I just figured he'd come up with something…different is all," Kai replied looking sullen for a slight moment.

"So, you're not mad?" questioned Ray. He just couldn't get how Kai didn't think not being able to blade a punishment.

"No, if I'm not allowed to blade, I can find other ways to train. Besides, without Dranzer, it doesn't matter that much anyway," he mumbled the last part. He was planning on trying to improve his blading, but after hearing the news about Biovolt, there were other things that he needed to prepare first.

"I bet you really miss her," Ray said. "I remember when I lost Drigger against the Saint Shields. (1) It was like losing a part of myself."

"…"

"Kai-"

"Drop it Ray," said Kai coldly.

"No Kai! I won't drop it," Ray said with sudden aggression. "All I'm trying to do is help you and all you keep doing is pushing me away. I mean at least have a conversation with me.

"What's your favorite color?" Kai asked.

Now utterly confused, Ray asked a very logical and intelligible question, "Huh?"

"What's your favorite color? Mine are black and red."

"Umm…gold and white I guess. But what does that have to do with anything! Don't try and change the subject Kai."

"I'm not. We just had a conversation. Happy now?" Kai asked matter-of-factly.

Now Ray wasn't sure whether to laugh or start ranting at Kai. He decided to choose the former. "Kai…I think…you just made a joke," Ray said in between laughs.

Looking towards Ray, Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever."

Calming down again, Ray decided to try and get back on topic.

"Kai, please, I'm your teammate- no… your friend. Or at least I'd like to be. But in order to be friends, you have to trust me. I trust you."

Something inside of Kai's head suddenly clicked, and his eyes shot open. He'd heard those words before.

"_Kai, I know we're not supposed to have fwends, but do you consider me one?" asked a sheepish flaming haired boy. He had just come back from training and was having his wounds cleaned by Kai._

"_Of course Tala, you're my bestest fwend in the whole world!" a younger Kai exclaimed._

_Delighted, Tala eagerly replied back. "Thanks Kai, I don't twust anyone in here except you. You trust me right?"_

"_Right. That's what fwends do after all."_

"KAI!"

Kai was brought out of his flashback when Ray screamed his name. Breathing heavily, Kai's mind took in every detail of that happening that occurred nine years earlier. He remembered that day exactly. Tala and him had been cell mates for about four months. It was the first time they actually called each other friends.

His body suddenly tensed as someone grabbed his arm. Looking up he saw Ray. How could he forget he was here? Mentally scolding himself for showing weakness in front of Ray, Kai pulled his arm away.

"What the heck just happened Kai? And don't you dare tell me it's none of my business. I'm over here talking to you, and suddenly you shoot up and start breathing like you're having a heart attack. I know something is wrong Kai and I want answers now!" Ray was running on pure adrenaline. He never yelled, especially not at Kai.

Looking up blankly at Ray, Kai blinked a couple times before getting his emotionless demeanor back.

"I trust you more than anyone in this house Ray," Kai said answering Ray's previous question.

"Don't you dare tell me to- You what?" Ray asked not sure if he heard Kai clearly.

"I trust you more than anyone here, Ray, and I consider you a friend," Kai said not looking at Ray. His voice was almost a whisper. All the memories he had been having happen to him had been horrific occurrences, but this one, it was one of the good times he actually had in the abbey.

Ray was definitely not expecting that to be what Kai said.

"Thanks Kai." Ray wasn't exactly sure what to say. "Umm…do you mind telling me what just happened?"

Deciding whether he should tell Ray, Kai went against every rule in his book. He knew Ray wouldn't use it against him. At least he hoped not.

"Ray, what I'm about to tell you, you have to swear never to tell anyone else," Kai's eyes were now looking directly at Ray searching for any signs of betrayal.

"Okay Kai! I swear whatever you tell me in this room won't leave these walls." If Kai was going to tell him something about himself, then he'd be willing to cut out his vocal chords to prove to Kai he'd never tell. Okay- maybe that was a little extreme.

Taking a deep breathe, Kai stood up and faced Ray with an unwavering stare.

"For the last few days I've been having these "flashbacks." I don't what triggers it, but one minute I'm doing something, and the next I'm reliving a memory. I don't know why it's happening, but-," Kai's voice trailed off.

"Maybe, your experiencing some kind of déjà vu," suggested Ray.

"No. When this happens, I not only see everything that's happening, but I can feel what happened too. I've never heard of déjà vu _that_ extreme."

Ray was now completely puzzled. How could someone not be experiencing something, but still feel the effects of it happening. To be able to relive moments of your life as if it were happening again, yeah it'd be scary at first, but then it would be kind of cool. His thoughts drifted to when he was little and how it would be so nice to relive some of the times he spent with the White Tigers. Carefree and beyblading in the forests. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Kai started talking again.

"What do you think I should do Ray, I want these to stop happening." His voice was now just above a whisper and his face looked almost doleful.

"Well, if they have been happening repeatedly, you should probably go see a doctor."

Kai's previous expression was gone in an instant, and his eyes became blazing.

"I am not going to a doctor."

Taken aback by Kai's tone Ray tried to show he didn't mean anything by it.

"Okay. Sure. Nooo doctor."

After a small pause, Ray asked another question. "What happened just now? I mean, what did you just see in your flashback."

Kai's eyes softened ever so slightly and became distant. "It was the first time I met Tala." It wasn't completely true, but to Kai it was what marked the beginning of their friendship.

"Tala? Tala from the Blitzkrieg Boys?" Ray was confused. He new Tala and Kai had been teammates, but he really didn't know how long they had known each other or just how far their relationship went. (2)

Breaking out of his thoughts, Kai put his mask back on.

"I think it's time for you to leave now Ray, and don't mention any of this to anybody," Kai said warningly. Making a mental note of finding out Kai's relationship with Tala, Ray got up and headed towards the door. Stopping just outside Kai's room, he offered Kai his services.

"Hey Kai, if you ever need to talk, I'm right down the hall. I've also been told I'm a great listener." With that said, Ray left Kai's room.

Outside, Ray did a small victory dance in his mind. He had gotten through at least a little of Kai's mask. He definitely had a ways to go, but he had accomplished something. With that thought, he headed to his room with a small smile on his lips. Unbeknownst to him, a similar grin sat on the face of a duo-haired boy just a door away. Maybe trusting wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

1: In the second season, the Saint Shields stole Drigger and sealed him in an ancient rock. Wasn't sure if anyone remembered.

2: All the Bladebreakers think that Kai and Tala were just teammates. They don't know that they are actually good friends.

Whew that was long! I wrote it all in two days! (That's a record for me.)

I hope to be getting to some action scenes in the next few chapters. Hopefully I didn't bore you all with this.

Ta Ta everyone! Please Review!

FlamingIce


	12. Facade Slightly Unwoven

Hey guys!

Thanks to phoenix-falling, twin1, Canyx, kavbj, vlissan, Smiffyizdabest, or-chan, Balrog Roike, Kais-lil-lover, Lichtblick, ari, Miako6, and sesshy-sesshy-girl for reviewing.

I was going over the story, and I realized that for the story being called _Back to School_, there haven't been many school scenes. I thought that I better get writing some.

So here you all go.

**Chapter 12: Façade Slightly Unwoven**

"Hey did you here Karen's dating Nick?"

"Guess what I just heard! Jack's gay. Brittany just told me."

"Heather told Sarah who told John who told Megan that Grace is pregnant. Can you believe it?"

Walking through the halls of H.C. Brown's high school, Ray realized just how many rumors spread through the hallways. Practically every conversation was about gossip.

It was about ten till nine and Ray was on his way to gym. Beside him walked the composed being of Kai. It had been a week since their conversation. Ray was at first unsure about how Kai would react, but it turned out that Kai acted like it never even occurred. He wondered if

Kai really even thought anything _about _the conversation.

Entering the gymnasium, Ray caught a whiff of putrid gym socks and overly sprayed perfume and cologne. There was definitely a down side to having extra sensitive senses.

He walked down to the locker rooms, and started to change. When he was done, he waited for Kai to finish. He knew that Kai liked to wait till the locker room thinned out to start changing. When they were both done, they proceeded up the stairs.

In the past week that they've had gym, Ray had come to the conclusion that their gym teacher didn't exactly think highly of them. Of course a gerbil probably had more brains, but gerbils didn't have the power to make them run laps and condition. He couldn't complain though. As much as the teacher seemed to dislike Ray, he absolutely _despised _Kai. It was mostly because of his rebellious attitude. Still, Kai just ignored him-which resulted in making him angrier.

They lined up so Coach Martin could take attendance.

"Okay, today we are starting our fitness unit. For the next few days we'll work on muscle strength and endurance. Now each of you pick a partner," Coach Martin's voice boomed.

Ray walked over to Kai.

"Now pick who goes first. One person will do sit-ups while the other holds the person's feet and counts," said Coach Martin.

"Do you want to go first Kai? I don't care either way," said Ray.

As an answer, Kai laid down on the gym floor with his knees up. Ray shrugged in response.

"I'll start the timer. Your goal is to get as many done as you can within two minutes. Ready. Set. Go!"

Ray held Kai's feet while he immediately started doing the required exercise. Ray counted to himself, silently observing how well and fast Kai was going.

Two minutes later, Coach Martin shouted for them to stop. He then called the counters over to record their progress.

He went down the line, and when he got to Ray he asked, "How many did Hiwatari get? Don't feel bad about giving me a low number."

"214," Ray answered.

The coach did a double take and then eyed Ray up and down. "Don't lie to me boy. How many did he do?"

"214," Ray repeated. He knew it didn't sound reasonable, but that was how many he counted. The whole time Kai remained in a fast and steady pace. Ray noticed how the others had started to get slower at the end, but not Kai.

"_Sure_. For lying you just got your friend a zero," the coach said. He then proceeded to the next kid.

Ray was about to argue, but Kai stopped him.

"It's not worth it."

Ray felt his anger rising. This was just unfair. It wasn't even his grade. Did everyone like to gain up on Kai? And the thing was, Kai himself didn't care.

The rest of the gym class, Ray silently seethed. Finally the bell rang, and he stomped out of the gym.

"Hey Ray!"

Ray turned around and saw Michael trying to catch up with him. He slowed his pace.

"Too bad about Coach Martin. He really doesn't seem to like you. I'll talk to him for ya," offered Michael. Ray knew that Michael, as well as Eddy, were both on Coach Martin's favorite list. You know teacher's pet? Well that would probably have been an understatement.

"Thanks Michael. But I think it would be best to try and sort this out myself."

"Whatever you say, man. But if you ever need me to I will."

"Where are you going next?" asked Ray reaching his locker.

"I have language arts. I'll see you at lunch," Michael called as he started walking away.

Ray threw his gym bag in the locker, and then headed towards his free period.

_

* * *

_

_(With Kai)_

Oh, the boredom of advanced algebra. As the teacher rambled on about how wonderful he thought the theory of pathagerous is, Kai sat at the back of the room watching the snow fall from the sky just out the window. Every once in a while he'd glance at the teacher to make it look like he was listening, where in truth his thoughts were miles away from the classroom.

The conversation he had had with Ray was still fresh in his mind. At first he had regretted telling him about his problem. Showing weakness. How pathetic, he scolded himself. But after a while of thinking about it, he realized it was a bit of a relief to have somebody else know.

He had always been taught that trusting people would only end up hurting him. He had learned that _numerous_ times. But maybe to _never _trust wasn't that good of an idea.

He saw how happy and carefree Tyson and the others always were. How they always had a sense of security around them. They trusted practically everyone. Tyson would probably trust a murderer with a gun. But despite this, everything turned out okay for them.

Did this mean that _he_ should start trusting more? He already trusted Tala, Bryan, Ian, and Spencer, and apparently he was starting to trust Ray, but what about the others. He couldn't picture Tyson or Max actually betraying him, but after having it done to him so many times, he definitely didn't want it to happen again.

"Mr. Hiwatari! I know that the snow seems awfully interesting, but would you mind taking a minute from your daydreaming to answer the question on the board." The teacher's voice cut Kai out of his thoughts. He glanced at the board for a quick second and with complete confidence he answered the question, "29." The teacher did a double take at the board and with reluctance he dubbed the answer correct, but warned Kai to pay more attention.

When he went back to teaching, Kai went back to his thoughts.

_

* * *

_

_(Somewhere in Russia)_

"I hope these new headquarters have proved fit to your liking, Sir," said a man clothed in a dark green jacket. Beside him walked an older man observing the area.

"Yes, as a matter of fact this place will do perfectly," the elder answered back. He had a distant look in his eye, like he was deep in thought.

"Is everything in order for the plan?" He questioned.

"Yes, the only thing left is to locate the boy which will hardly prove a problem."

"Good." He turned around and stared back through the door he had just come.

Soon Kai, I will have my revenge.

_

* * *

_

_(Back at school)_

"Briiiiinnnngggg!" The sound of the bell pierced through the school and soon the deserted hallways became packed.

Kai walked out of math heading towards his locker avoiding the passing students. He had finally made a breakthrough in his thoughts. He decided he would try to open up more to his team. Not much, but Tyson, Ray, and Max had spent the last three years with him, and they at least deserved a little trust. He only hoped he wouldn't regret his decision later.

He arrived at his locker, did the combination, collected his books, and headed toward science.

When he entered the science room, he came very close to walking back out. As the tables indicated, today they were going to be working with chemicals.

Tyson + toxic, inflammable, deadly chemicals BIG disaster. And oh joy! He got to be his partner. Note the sarcasm.

"Hey Kai! Look at all these cool colorful chemicals we get to work with today," shouted Tyson looking through one of the test tubes. Kai reluctantly went over to his table and sat down beside Tyson.

A few minutes later, the teacher gave them directions on what to do and wrote the formula on the board.

"You may begin, but please be cautious with these chemicals. They're not hazardous, but they could cause problems if mixed wrong. One person will be the recorder of how the mixture looks throughout the experiment, and the other will add the chemicals," the teacher instructed.

"Alright Kai! Can I please add the chemicals. Pretty pretty please with sugar on top," begged Tyson.

Going over the _many _worse case scenarios in his head, Kai turned back to Tyson.

"You can add them to the tubes Tyson, but listen and do exactly what I say," said Kai sternly. Tyson nodded his head eagerly.

"Okay, first add 10 mL of the calcium chloride," directed Kai reading the board. Tyson looked from test tube to test tube very confused.

"Umm…Which one is the calcium chloride?"

Kai sighed and pointed it out. This was going to be a long class.

About halfway through, Kai reread what he had recorded so far. Tyson didn't know any of the chemical names, so Kai had decided to just call them out by color. For the most part they were doing okay though. That's when disaster hit.

"Add 3 teaspoons of that red liquid, Tyson." Picking up the container and the measuring utensil, Tyson measured what he thought was 3 teaspoons. He then proceeded to add it to their clear mixture.

Looking up just in time to see Tyson finish adding the red chemical, Kai grabbed Tyson's hand.

"What are you doing? I told you 3 _teaspoons_. This," he hissed holding up the measuring spoon, "is 3 _tablespoons_."

Suddenly a gurgling noise came from the concoction below the both of them. It had turned bright red and was starting to flow over the top. The teacher noticing the odd chemical reaction came over to investigate. Seeing what Kai and Tyson had made, a look of fear spread over his face. Suddenly the experiment's tube started to rattle.

"Get down!" the teacher ordered.

Both boys ducked and a blast of red shot out of the test tube. It was more of a powder then a liquid, and luckily it didn't go very far. After a few seconds the tube stopped coughing out the red mixture.

Getting up from the ground, Tyson looked at the now distilled concoction they had made.

"So…Did we pass?" he asked with a goofy smile on his face. The teacher slowly got to his feet and looked around assessing the damage. There was only a small mess left on the lab table. All the students were now looking to see what had happened, but none of them appeared to be hurt.

Kai got to his feet about ready to strangle Tyson. Was he just completely incapable of following directions, or did he enjoy causing trouble wherever he went? Then, looking at Tyson, he noticed the usually yellow T-shirt he wore was now spotted in red. Looking down at his own clothes he was pleased to see they were red chemical free. He then looked up to see Tyson laughing.

"What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Your…ha ha ha…hair," he said in between laughs.

Going over to an empty glass cylinder, Kai looked at his reflection and found what Tyson had been laughing about. The edges of his bangs were a dark red. He tried wiping it out with his fingers, but it was as permanent as his own hair color.

Just great he thought. Then smirking to himself he thought, I bet Tala will get a kick out of this. He always said red hair was the sexiest color.

_

* * *

_

_(Lunch)_

"Kai, I said I'm sorry about a thousand times," pleaded Tyson.

"Yeah, and I told I want another lab partner."

Tyson and Kai were walking to lunch talking about the mishap in science.

The teacher had told Kai that the red should come out of his hair in about a week or so, and he had instructed Tyson to just throw away his shirt. Lucky for both of them the project hadn't been for a grade, and the teacher didn't reprimand them because no one got hurt. He did however, tell them to pay more attention to what they were doing.

"Is this about your hair Kai cause honestly you can hardly tell?" said Tyson.

Rolling his eyes, Kai wondered just how dense Tyson really was.

"You think I'm _that _vain?" asked Kai, then deciding he didn't want to continue the conversation he did the only thing that would end it.

"Fine Tyson. I won't ask for a new partner. But you better start listening." Then to himself he thought, if anyone else had Tyson as a chemistry partner no doubt this school would be blown up in about a day. Then again that wouldn't really be a bad thing.

They entered the lunch room and sat down with Ray and Max. They had all decided that every other day the four of them would sit together, and on the other days they would sit with their new friends.

Ray, noticing Tyson's shirt and Kai's hair asked what happened. Tyson explained the story to Ray, leaving out a few details for his benefit. By the end of the story Max and Ray were both laughing. What happened had just been so…Tyson!  
"Wow Ty! It looks like you got in a fight with a paint brush," laughed Max.

"Yeah well at least I can throw the shirt away, Kai's stuck with that color hair for at least a week," retorted Tyson. In return Kai directed a glare his way.

Ray, now looking closer at Kai realized that the color didn't look funny like it would on other people; it actually made him look more mysterious. Just the tips of his bangs had gotten sprayed with the red chemical, leaving the rest of his bangs grey. With his dark blue hair in the back and those enigmatic eyes of his, Kai almost looked like a demon.

Feeling eyes on him, Kai looked up and noticed Ray who immediately directed his gaze elsewhere. Kai really enjoyed having that affect on people.

"Tonight start your work as soon as you get home," he said. "We're going to have training. I don't care if we're up till next morning, but we definitely are going to practice."

"What! Are you serious? I thought you weren't aloud to blade," said Tyson with a mouth full of a sandwich.

"I'm not. That only means I can focus more of my attention on you," answered Kai with a smirk.

"Just great," Tyson mumbled. Why do I have a feeling I'm going to be sore tomorrow, he thought.

The rest of the school day went by quickly, and by the time everyone arrived home the All-Starz already had the full story of what had happened in fourth period science.

"Tyson, please don't tell me you're _that_ clueless," joked Rick entering the house.

"It was an honest mistake, why does everyone keep gaining up on me?" asked Tyson.

"You know we're just playing," said Max patting Tyson on the head.

Hearing the group of teenagers enter the house, Judy made her way into the living room.

"Hey guys, how was school?"

A chorus of _goods _filled the room. She soon saw Tyson and questioned what had happened. Tyson, who was exasperated for having to explain the story for the third time today, told her what had happened and asked her or anyone else to be the one to explain it if anyone else asked.

After a few minutes of attempting to hear about the other's days, Judy went back to the kitchen to finish dinner, and left the others to start their homework.

As the night went by, Ray was happy to notice that things seemed to be getting better within the household. There was still a little tension, but no problems broke out. Bruce and Kai were on mutual no talking terms- which for Kai pretty much applied to everyone. At dinner conversations soon became casual, and it almost reminded him of when he'd eat dinner with the White Tigers in the mountains: it was like being with family.

After dinner, true to his word Kai called practice; and halfway through Ray personally wished Bruce had never grounded Kai from blading. Because he wasn't blading himself, Kai was able to focus 100 of his attention on his teammates. It was definitely one of the most intense practices they had ever had.

"Your balance is off Max. Quit favoring your right side or your blade will tip easier," Kai ordered.

"Ray, when you launch don't put so much power in it but focus more on your aim."

Whispering into Max's ear Tyson said, "He never talks, but when it comes to training he never stops ordering us around. If you ask me, he seriously needs to work on his people skills."

Hearing Tyson, Kai was just about to make him pay for those words when his mobile phone rang.

That's odd, he thought. Tala never calls him until late in the night. That was the downfall to having a major time difference. Turning to his team he told them to continue practicing. He then answered his phone.

"Hello?" he asked in Russian.

"KAI!" shrieked the voice on the other line. "Yes! I _finally_ found your number. Who would've guessed Tala had so many phone numbers on his phone. I must of called about eight of them before I found yours. All of them were girls too. No surprise huh? So how are you doing?"

"Ian why do you have Tala's phone, and exactly how much sugar have you had?" Kai asked. He hadn't heard from Ian since the championship, and although the younger blader could be as annoying as Tyson, it was nice to hear him again.

"First of all I've only had a couple…cough…dozen…cough candy bars, and second, I took Tala's phone to get back at him. He took my launcher _again_," Ian whined.

Kai rolled his eyes. More arguments went on in the Russian team's house then he thought went on during a war.

"So stealing his phone will help you get your launcher back how?" Kai questioned.

"I'll make a deal with him. Besides, I wanted to talk with you. Bryan, Tala, and Spencer all have their own phones and I don't. Whenever you talk to Tala he never lets me say hi." he complained.

"Hi Ian," said Kai in response. He knew Ian only wanted to be like the others. He was the youngest of the group and he never liked to be excluded from things. Even if it was something as trivial as a phone call.

"Tala tells me you're staying with the All-Starz. Believe me man, the others and I all give you our sympathy. Even Bryan thought that was harsh. So-" he was cut off by a shout in the background. Kai could make the voice out anywhere: Tala. And an angry Tala at that.

"IAN! GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK RIGHT NOW!"

"NO! GIVE ME BACK MY LAUNCHER!" Ian replied. At this point Kai pulled the phone away from his ringing ear. This caught the attention of his teammates who had been practicing, but had been secretly eavesdropping the entire conversation. Kai knew this, but didn't say anything because the whole conversation was in Russian.

"Ian, if you don't give me my phone right now, I'll shove you in the dryer again! And this time I'll turn it on!" shouted Tala. Even though the phone was away from his ear, Kai could still hear him perfectly.

"EEKK! Kai please help! Talk to him won't you?" begged Ian.

"Where's Bryan and Spencer?" Kai inquired.

"Spencer went to the store to get some food, and Bryan locked himself in our room saying he doesn't want to deal with us. That's why I'm hiding in a tree," he explained.

Kai sighed. He was halfway around the world and he was still the one to resolve problems between them.

"Okay Ian, give Tala the phone and I'll talk to him." On the other line he could here some static, a small yelp, a thud, cursing, and then Ian pleading with Tala and running away.

"Hello," came the cool voice of Tala. That was the one thing Kai couldn't get about his friend. One minute he could be about to rage war, and the next he could be as calm as a priest.

"Tala, why are you threatening Ian again? Give him back his launcher," said Kai in a bored voice.

"No! I took his launcher because he took my brush!" said Tala indignant.

"DID NOT!" came a call from the background.

"Yes you did and don't deny it!" Tala shouted back.

"Alright Tal, here's the deal. I'll buy and send you a brand new brush New York style. They're supposed to be fancy here. But in return give Ian back his launcher," Kai coaxed.

"But it will take forever for a new brush to come," moaned Tala.

"Then buy a cheap one and use it until the new one comes." Kai was really beginning to think he was talking to a bunch of three year olds.

"Fine, I'll give the midget back his brush," he said with reluctance.

"_Thank you_."

"So, what are you up to?" asked Tala. Again his mood swing completely caught Kai off guard.

"Well I was training my team, who right now are all looking at me as if I grew a second head."

"Give them an innocent smile and wave at them for me."

"What? Why?" asked Kai.

"I like to creep them out."

"You're impossible."

"I know," Tala answered cheekily.

"So who are all the girl's phone numbers you have on your phone. Anyone new?" Kai said slyly.

"How do you know about those?" Tala demanded.

"Ian." Kai knew how popular Tala was with the girls of Russia. He guessed being involved with an evil company never really took away from his popularity. However, Tala was the _worst_ player in Russia. Even so, he just couldn't bring himself to yell at him. He knew that even before he was brought to the abbey, Tala had never been shown love, and now to make up for it, Tala tried to get as many girls as he could to see if he could fill that void. Sure the Blitzkrieg Boys were all a family, but sometimes they all needed something more.

"I swear one day I'm going to haul off and kill that big nosed shrimp," said Tala.

"Alright, just make sure to hide the body. I don't need to turn on the TV one day and see you on the World's Most Wanted," said Kai.

"I appreciate your concern," said Tala sarcastically. "Well I don't want to hold up the World Championship team from practicing any longer, so I'll call you later."

"Okay. But Tala I'm serious please don't kill Ian."

"No matter how tempting it is Kai I swear I won't kill him. He he he. Although I can't say the same for Bryan," he said evilly.

"Tala!" Kai called.

"Bye bye." The other answered sweetly and then the phone went dead.

Kai flipped his phone closed defeated. He really did miss them.

Turning back to his team he saw them gawking at him.

"What?" he demanded, switching back to English swiftly.

"Nothing, it's just I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much before," said Tyson.

"Yeah, and what language was that?" asked Max.

"Russian."

"You speak Russian?" asked Tyson.

"Tyson he was born in Russia, I think he'd be able to speak his native language," pointed out Ray.

"Oh. So who were you talking to?"

Kai was just about to ignore Tyson's question and tell them to get back to training, but remembered what he had decided earlier.

"Tala." "And Ian," he added as an afterthought.

"WHAT! Why are you talking to the Blitzkrieg Boys? Please don't tell me you're going to switch teams again. I thought you were a Bladebreaker permanently now," accused Tyson.

"I'm not switching teams Tyson. I was just talking to them. Call it a matter of life and death," he said thinking about how Tala probably would have slaughtered Ian. A small smirk appeared on his face.

"Life and death! Oh no, are they thinking about taking over the world again. Who were they going to kill? We should definitely tell Mr. Dickinson. Why didn't you tell us earlier. When I get my hands on them, I'll take them down just like I've done before," rambled Tyson.

Now Kai was starting to get irritated. This was one of the reasons he never told them anything.

"First of all Tyson, the Blitzkrieg Boys would _murder_ you. Second, they are not taking over the world, they were just having an argument and wanted me to help settle it. Now get back to training."

"So you're not switching teams?" asked Max.

"No Max, but if this team doesn't start actually working then I very well might. Now get back to practice. Ray you battle Tyson, and then Max you take on the winner," commanded Kai.

"Fine. Slave-driver," whispered Tyson.

"I heard that," said Kai leaning back against the wall in his usual position. Ray and Max snickered.

_

* * *

_

_(That Night) _**(AN/: I've really been skipping around a lot)**

The moonlight shown through the windows of the house bathing it in shadows. A comfortable silence filled the compacted home as all of the occupants were asleep. Some more soundly than others.

On the second floor of the home a figure tossed and turned in his sleep terrorized by haunting memories.

"Mama," he whimpered, for in his sleep he could not hold up his mask.

"Mama! Papa!" His tightly shut eyes suddenly opened and he bolted up. He wiped away the sweat on his forehead trying to regulate his breathing.

The dream, no nightmare, had been one of the worst memories his mind contained. It was when he was six years old. The day his parents had been murdered.

He looked down at his hands where he had once felt their blood. The memory was blurry and he couldn't fully remember it, but that was one of the things he was most thankful for. If he was able to remember it exactly, then he might honestly go insane from the experience. He could barely think about it now. His parents who had tried to protect him. They had been so loving to him, and in return he cost them their lives.  
"Dranzer," he whispered, "I really need you. You were always the one to comfort me, the one who helped take the pain away after I lost them. But now, the pain's as bad as when it happened. Please Dranzer. Please come back." He laid back down, even though he knew he wouldn't sleep again that night.

* * *

WOW! That was the longest chapter/thing I have ever written. Almost 5,000 words. 

I've been on break the last few days but I go back to school tomorrow. It was my goal to finish this chapter and I'm sooooo happy I got it done.

Sorry if Kai seemed a little OC in this chapter. I'm trying my best not to do that.

Also, I know I said there would be some action this chapter, but I couldn't fit it in. I started writing it and it just didn't seem to blend. So sorry, but I promise there will be some in the next chapter.

Till then!

-FlamingIce


	13. Frivolous Threats? Not Anymore!

**New Chapter Alert! **

**New Chapter Alert! **

**New Chapter Alert!**

Hi guys! Sorry it's been a while. I've been over-loaded with school work.

Thank you so much for your patience and loyalty to this spontaneously updated story.

Special thanks to the reviewers of last chapter of which who include: or-chan, Cailany, kavbj, Miako6, apple.starz, phoenix-falling, vlissan, Balrog Roike, Raykou-Kun, Kais-lil-lover, twin1, black-lightning82, Canyx, black-lightning82, Canyx, Ma.anda, sesshy-sesshy-girl2, Sholay, Kai's- Suzaku, and KonohaSinX Flame!

Guess what! I have officially reached 100 reviews. (Blazing fireworks go off.) I would give everyone a cookie if I could, but since I can't I will give you all cyber cookies. Yay!

Congratulations to Kais-lil-lover for being my 100th reviewer. Your prize is… (drum roll)…The next chapter! (Sorry if I got you excited.)

Enough chat and on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade only my ideas. So don't even think about taking them!

**Chapter 13: Frivolous Threats? Not anymore!**

"Why can't they just get rid of Fridays all together and make Thursday the last day of school?" Tyson yawned.

The diverse group of bladers was on there way to school trudging through the damp slush that covered the sidewalks. Although the air was cold and crisp it didn't help wake them up, but instead only made them more longing for a cozy bed.

"You guys are pathetic. It's only been a couple weeks and you are already sick of school," joked Rick. He was the only one walking with them because Michael, Eddy, and Emily had left early.

"Please! This is cake. If we weren't going to school we'd have to get up this early and do some of Kai's training. Now _that _makes you worn out," said Ray.

Looking around however, Ray realized his teammates were definitely _not_ morning people. Max wasn't his constant sugar high self - at least not till ten, Tyson was barely talking, (Gasp!) and Kai even looked tired. Wait a sec! Ray did a double take and realized his eyes weren't fooling him. Kai's posture wasn't as straight as it usually was, and his usually alert eyes seemed almost dazed. No one would be able to tell if they weren't as good an observer as he was, but Kai did look tired. Ray wondered if it had anything to do with those flashbacks Kai had been talking about. He would have to ask him about it later.

Finally reaching the school, the bladers prepared themselves for the day. Max went over his schedule in his head. Tyson wondered what was for lunch tomorrow, Ray pondered about his math homework, and Kai was silently cursing Mr. Dickinson for making him have to go to this imprudent school.

Upon entering the building they went their separate ways and proceeded to first period.

"So, didn't sleep well last night?" questioned Ray, keeping his eyes in front of him.

Kai gave him a sideward glance. He must be slipping. He used to be able to go nights without sleep, and now after one sleepless night he couldn't keep his composure. Then again this was Ray - who of course would have to be a full blooded neko-jin.

Not discouraged by Kai not answering, Ray continued, "You can barely tell, but I guess for the sake of everyone it's a good thing it's almost the weekend. Who knew school would be tough. Beyblading is challenging, but at least it's fun."

The two entered their first period class and made their way over to their seats.

"I like World Cultures. It's interesting to learn about places that we can actually say we've been to."

Kai had to give Ray credit for his attempts at a conversation.

Class soon began and the two busied themselves reading a chapter from their textbook. Ray actually studying it, and Kai pretending to.

"Right now I'm passing back your mythological creature project. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of creativity in this class," announced the teacher, making his way around the room. When he came to Kai, he stopped.

"I really thought your project was great. You drew a wonderful phoenix, and your report really described how magnificent the phoenix is portrayed." He made his way over to Ray's desk.

"Mr. Kon, may I ask in which culture a white tiger is considered mythological."

Ray looked up nervously.

"Actually, in my village in China the people worshiped the white tiger as a powerful force. The most powerful one of all was _sort of _considered mythological."

The teacher scanned Ray's face, then dropped his paper on his desk and proceeded to the next student.

Looking down at his paper, Ray saw a bright red "B".

"Yes, I didn't fail," exclaimed Ray, he then looked over at Kai's report a bit curious as to what the teacher had thought so great.

"Where'd your picture go?" asked Ray. Kai turned to him and raised his eyebrows.

"I just want to see it."

Kai slipped his hand into his desk, pulled out his picture, and handed it to Ray.

An array of red and gold filled the paper coming to life to create the ever majestic phoenix. Ray stared closely at the paper and realized it was identical to Dranzer. He glanced over at Kai who appeared to be reading, but Ray knew he was watching him. He looked back to the drawing. Every single detail was perfectly placed; it must have taken Kai hours to draw this.

"Kai, this is amazing. I didn't even know you could draw," breathed Ray, not taking his eyes off the paper.

"Hn," was the response.

Ray handed the paper back to Kai. Others wouldn't be able to see it, but this picture told Ray something about Kai. It showed him just how much Kai respected and missed his bit-beast. Kai probably picked up on every mistake he had made drawing it and didn't think it was done till it was perfect. It was just how Kai was. He didn't want to portray his phoenix any other way then it really was.

Ray gave himself some credit; he was really good at this observing stuff. He should look into a career in detective work, or a psychiatrist, or something along those lines.

_(With Tyson and Max)_

**Maxie,  
****Do you get anything this teacher is saying? Since when did math involve letters? I'm having trouble with English enough; I don't need it in math too.**

**-Tyson**

Casually, Tyson tossed the white slip of paper over to Max's desk who glanced at it, scribbled something down, looked to see if the teacher was looking, and tossed it back.

**Tyson,**

**Actually I do get it a little. My mom works with this type of algebra at her work all the time.**

**-Maxie**

**P.S. The letters are variables. (I'll explain it later.)**

Well at least Max was understanding this stuff. Then maybe he could help me later, thought Tyson. He looked up at the board and tried to make some sense of the problems. Trying to work it out on his paper, Tyson came to the conclusion that it was hopeless. Why was he having so much trouble! Was the only thing he was really useful for Beyblading? Ever since he'd started school again, he had been having more trouble than ever. He had never cared about his grades before because he was always thinking about Dragoon, or practicing, or about his next battle. But now, with all his friends in school and doing better than him, he really didn't want to be the one left in the dust. Not only that, but he wanted to please his dad. For the first time in a while he was spending time with him. He wanted to show him what a good son he could be. His big brother Hiro had always been great at sports, academics - heck he was good at everything! Now it was his turn to try and live up to those standards. Maybe it was best Mr. Dickinson had sent them to this school. Of course he would never admit it.

* * *

_(At Lunch)_

The cafeteria was filled with chatter, and lucky for the students - today was macaroni and cheese day! Too bad there were also unidentified green things in it. **(AN/ **I have really had macaroni and cheese served with green things in it at my school. It was completely gross!)

The Bladebreaker group was scattered throughout the room. Max and Tyson were with Tommy and Peter, Ray was with the group of friends he had met, and Kai, who really wasn't in the room, was outside listening to his MP3 player.

He had come to like sitting outside on days he didn't sit with the Bladebreakers. It was quiet and calm. The two things he constantly tried to find. Unlucky for him though, today his peaceful surroundings were interrupted by the devil's prostitute.

"Hey Kai," cooed Natalie, strutting over to him. The look of innocence did not fool him for even a second. He looked in the other direction.

Natalie "Hmphed!" and made a pouting face.

"Oh come on Kai, you can't still be upset about last week. It was _only _a joke. I honestly didn't think Michael would get angry with you." She was now leaning against the table he was at. Still, Kai didn't pay her any attention.

"There's supposed to be a party this week at a friend of mines. It would make me very happy if you were to - oh I don't know - go with me," she purred. Her hand reached for his, but before she could blink, Kai had both her wrists grasped firmly.

"I'm going to say this slowly, Natalie, because apparently you are unable to get the idea. Stay…Away…From me," said Kai accenting each syllable.

Natalie tried to pull away from Kai, but it was useless.

"Tell me that you will stop," demanded Kai. The glare he was giving her was really beginning to frighten her, and that was his plan.

He didn't need this girl bothering him, and the quickest way to get rid of her was by scaring her. He wouldn't hurt Natalie; he would never hurt a girl, it just wasn't proper. But he had enough to think about without this annoying brat bugging him.

"Kai, let go!"

"Say it."

Just then, the double doors leading from the front doors opened and Eddy peeked his head out and looked around. He spotted Natalie and Kai, shouted back inside, and within seconds, Michael and him were making their way over to the two. By now Kai had let go of Natalie.

"What is going on?" Michael demanded. Natalie raced over to him and fake tears immediately started to spill out.

"Oh it was awful Michael! He told me to follow him out here; I thought he was going to apologize for before, but then…then…OH!" She broke off crying into his shoulder.

"I saw them just before you came out, Michael. He was grabbing her by the wrists and it looked like he was threatening her," said Eddy.

Oh great, that is not a position you would want to find someone in. I really do have the worst luck, thought Kai. He started to head back towards the school, but Michael sidestepped in front of him.

"Move," said Kai.

Ignoring his request, Michael only got angrier. "I told you before to stay away from my girl. _Now_ you're out here threatening her. I'll give you two seconds to explain yourself."

Quick as a blur, Kai maneuvered his away around Michael and Eddy and was entering the lunch room.

"You think you're sooo good? Well you better watch your back Hiwatari because you'll regret this," growled out Michael.

Kai stopped short of the door and then casually replied, "I'm shaking in my boots." With that he went inside, leaving behind an enraged Michael, an unsure Eddy, and a still sobbing Natalie.

"How…How are you going to get him back?" asked Natalie between sobs.

"I have a plan. You might not get it, but believe me it will shake him," said Michael calming down.

"Michael, maybe we shouldn't start anything with him," suggested Eddy. He was still hesitant of what Kai was capable of.

"Don't worry, I can deal with Kai by myself," said Michael leaving Natalie and Eddy.

Once he was gone, the two turned to each other. They both knew that the look on Michael's face couldn't be a good thing.

* * *

The rest of the school day surprisingly went well for Kai. He knew Michael wasn't a threat, but he still was expecting the guy to try something. Ha! Stupid kid thought he was so great. As if he would survive one second the torment he had endured.

Kai caught up with Ray at their locker.

"Hey Kai," greeted Ray, "good day?"

"Hn."

Ray took that as a yes and pulled his bag out of the locker.

"Tyson wanted to go to the pizza shop down the street tomorrow after school. You think that'd be cool?" asked Ray.

"Whatever," was Kai's response.

"Hey, what's that?" Ray pointed to a small piece of paper at the bottom of their locker. Kai picked it up and opened it.

**Dearest Kai,**

**I know how much you miss your beloved Dranzer. Come to the center of Central Park today after school, and perhaps we can work out a deal.**

**Yours Truly **

Kai swiftly closed the note and crumbled it up.

"What does it say?" asked Ray.

"Nothing," answered Kai and he headed outside, dropping the note in a waste basket.

Something inside Ray told him that the note wasn't nothing. Making sure Kai was out of sight, he snatched the note out of the garbage. (Luckily it was on the very top, and he didn't have to go digging.) Reading the note quickly, Ray wondered what kind of mess Kai had gotten himself into. Who was "Yours Truly". As secretive as they were they had to be someone dangerous. Then the thought hit him: Biovolt. Would Kai really meet with them. Then again since they offered Dranzer Kai would probably go in a heartbeat. If that was true, then Ray had to follow. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop Kai, but he could follow to make sure nothing happened to him. But if this was Biovolt, then he was going to need some help. He raced out of the school.

_(Ten Minutes Later)_

Kai leaned against the side of a light post just outside Central Park. He knew that whatever he was about to do was a trap. The note had to be from Biovolt. He'd been expecting them ever since Boris and Voltaire's escape. Despite all the signs however, if there was even the slightest chance that it meant he could get Dranzer back, well then he was willing to take it. He gripped his launcher inside his jacket. It was useless, but he had to at least take a risk. He made up his mind and entered Central Park.

* * *

"Ray, if Kai's in danger then why didn't you stop him?" asked a navy-haired boy racing down the street.

"Because, Tyson, he wouldn't have listened to me. I just hope we aren't too late," Ray whispered the last part. The blonde beside him however heard, and a wave of worry went through him.

* * *

Kai was in the dead center of the park, and there was no sign of anyone. His senses were on full alert. He was just about to think this whole thing was a hoax when he heard the leaves of a bush rustle nearby. He prepared himself to fight when suddenly someone's voice spoke up.

"So, the Great Kai Hiwatari fell for a trap I see. I guess you aren't as smart as you pretend." Out of the bushes stepped someone who was like an annoying flea: Michael.

Kai couldn't believe it. Here he had thought Biovolt was the one that had sent him the letter, where really it was Michael. He must be slipping to have fallen for something so stupid. He would have laughed in relief, however he was almost fuming. Michael knew how much Kai missed Dranzer - any blader with a bitbeast would, but he used that against Kai. Worst of all Kai had dared to hope he would be getting her back. _Now _he was just mad.

"So Michael, you got me here. You must have been too stupid to think past that," said Kai trying to restrain his anger.

"Actually Kai, I did think past that. There's been something I've wanted to do ever since the Russian Championship." With that, Michael lunged towards Kai, but Kai was too quick and dodged the attack.

"Well then it looks like you're going to keep dreaming," said Kai. Michael sent another hit his way then another and another. Kai dodged the first two, and grabbed Michael's fist on the third one. He squeezed it tight causing Michael to cringe.

"Listen Michael. You hate me and I hate you, but do you honestly think you could hit me?" He let go of Michael's fist.

"I don't see _you _landing any punches," said Michael.

"Please, like I need to waste my time on you." Kai turned around ready to leave, and just in time blocked a kick. Now irritated, Kai twisted Michael's leg and threw him to the ground.

"KAI!"

Kai turned around when he heard Tyson's voice, and before he knew it Ray, Tyson, and Max appeared before him.

Michael wiped himself off and then dove at a distracted Kai. Both of them landed on the floor and started trying to gain the upper hand.

Max and Tyson were in shock, only Ray came to his senses.

He went over and tried to pry Michael and Kai off each other. He successfully got them apart. The two stood up, Kai stood looking bored, and Michael was seething.

"Just stop you guys. You heard what Bruce said, we are all a family now and have to learn to get along," shouted Ray.

"Please, as if I'd ever act like a brother to a traitor," said Michael glaring daggers at Kai.

"Let it go, Michael! It wasn't even _you_ he betrayed. We forgave him and so should you!" yelled Ray. This guy was impossible.

"Stop sticking up for him! That's all you ever do. Is this how you settle your mistakes Kai, by having Ray work them out for you," Michael taunted.

"Ray, step out of the way," said Kai calmly.

"No, I'm not about to let you guys hurt each other." Kai easily pushed Ray aside.

"So now what? Since you're too afraid to fight, what are you going to do? Stand there and glare at me?" teased Michael.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his cheek and he went flying backwards. The taste of blood filled his mouth, and everyone gasped. Kai stood there letting his fist drop.

"K-Kai?" The Bladebreakers were shocked.

Kai strode over towards Michael and leaned over him. He whispered so only the two of them could hear.

"I told you once not to mess with me, next time I hope you take my advice." Kai got up and was about to leave when a pathetic chuckle sounded from behind him.

He glanced back and there sat Michael producing a strange sound somewhere between a laugh and a whine.

"You know Kai. Like I said before, you're all bark and no bite. You think you're tougher than me? It was a lucky shot. Let me hit you like that and I bet you'll start crying like a baby. After all it doesn't take much to have you start crying out. I mean a simple dream was able to do it," said Michael gaining his confidence back.

Kai's attention was now caught.

"What do you mean?" questioned Kai, his eyes searching Michael's.

"Don't act like that. I heard you last night. Oh mama, papa please no! I'm soooo sorry!" Michael said in a whimpering voice.

Kai grabbed him off the ground and held him by the collar. "I dare you to say that again," he said with complete fury. The others stood looking at the two unsure of what to do. They couldn't believe how brave/stupid Michael was, and Kai looked like a time bomb about ready to destroy him. No one really wanted to get involved.

"What's wrong Kai? A little touchy when it comes to family. I can see why, I mean look at your own grandfather. What's the deal with your parents? Were you crying last night because you did something wrong and they took your allowance away, rich boy." That did it. All coherent thoughts were gone. No one _ever_ mentions his parents. Kai was just about to kill Michael when suddenly a shot fired through the park.

Kai dropped Michael who fell to the floor with a "thud", and immediately he became alert.

"Ray, Tyson, Max. All of you get over by Michael," ordered Kai. His past anger was slowly dissipating. Suddenly a group of men jumped from behind the bushes. On their uniforms read the word _Biovolt _in Russian. Kai didn't wait a second and was immediately on the attack. There were about six men, but Kai was fighting hard and was keeping them down pretty well.

"Ray, get the others and get out of here," said Kai in between strikes. Instead of listening, Ray snuck his way over to Kai and stared to assist him in battle.

"What are you doing!" demanded Kai .

"No way am I going to just leave you," answered Ray. Another shot unexpectedly echoed through the park. Everyone stopped fighting and the men scurried away.

"That was odd," said Ray. He turned around and his mouth dropped open. There stood Michael, Max, and Tyson standing as still as possible. That wasn't what shot a wave of horror through him though. Behind them stood Boris Balcov pointing a gun at his closet friends.

Kai could barely believe it. The man he despised more than almost anybody in the world had his team at gunpoint. He had to do something even if it meant trouble for him.

Boris spoke first. "Well young Kai, looks like fate has brought us together again."

"You can stop the act Boris, now let them go."

"I don't think your in any position to be making demands, young Kai." Boris playfully twisted a lock of Tyson's hair causing him to grimace.

"What is it that you want?" asked Kai not taking his eyes off of Boris. He could easily run, but he couldn't leave the others.

"Now Kai, I think you know very well what I want," said Boris is a pleasant voice. Obviously this was making his day.

Kai thought for a minute, he knew very well what Boris wanted, and he knew it was the only way to make sure his teammates were safe. He couldn't think about what he was about to do because he knew his mind and body would cause him to run.

"Alright. Let them go and I'll do what you say." His voice didn't give away even a fraction of what he was really feeling.

Boris looked to be thinking about it for a minute and then replied, "Okay Kai, it's a deal."

Kai let out a shaky breath. Despite what he told himself, he started to think about the place he had just agreed to go.

The place where he was started to disappear and soon he was looking at grim covered walls. No! Not here, not now! He thought. He was having a flashback and he needed to snap out of it. He saw glimpses of the cells, the laboratories, the training room, Boris, Voltaire, everything he dreaded about the place. He tried to open his eyes so he could get back to the present. He fought with his mind and awoke from the memory.

In reality he saw that he had fallen to the ground and was on his hands and knees. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Ray had been knocked out, and looking at the ground he could see a shadow heading towards him.

"Well, well, well. You've gotten soft Kai. Don't worry though, Biovolt will fix that." Boris loomed above Kai and before Kai could get up he felt a hard blow to his head, and then everything went black.

* * *

Hope everybody enjoyed!

I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker, but I'm not sure how that will go.

Till next time

-FlamingIce


	14. Contract With The Devil

Hiya everybody!

Thanks to d1bontemp, kavbj, Raykou- Kun, vlissan, Balrog Roike, Uzumi, apple.starz, or-chan, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, Kai's-Suzaku, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda and Canyx for reviewing.

In this chapter _italics _represent Kai's thoughts and ( ) represent conversations in Russian.

I know everybody hated the cliffhanger, so I better hurry and get on with the story.

**Chapter 14: Contract With The Devil**

"Bruce, where do you think the Bladebreakers and Michael are? They are usually home by now?" Judy asked looking out the window yet again. It was almost six-o'-clock and the only ones to return home had been Eddy, Emily, and Rick.

"I don't know. The others have no idea either. They're able to take care of themselves though. Wherever they went they probably just lost track of time," said Bruce reasonably.

"Well they could have at least called. Just wait till they get home and I'll make sure they don't lose track of time again," said Judy worryingly.

From the other side of the wall, Eddy stood listening to the adults.

"What did you do, Michael?" he whispered to himself, hoping his friend had not gotten into too much trouble.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Eddy, a helicopter was now heading towards a restricted location, carrying his friend and the others. Inside the space they were being held, one of its occupants started to awaken, only to find himself slumped against a metal wall, with his hands chained. 

_What the heck! Where in the world am I? _Were the first thoughts Kai had when he awakened from unconsciousness. Then the events from what happened before he was knocked out slowly started to come back to him

_Shoot! How do they always catch me? _He was clenching his teeth together, but other than that it surprised him how calm he was. He was heading to the place that he had been having nightmares about for the last couple months, but oddly his mind was remaining rational. He tugged at the restraints and just as he'd predicted they didn't budge. Just great!

He kept his eyes shut as he had trained himself to do. If the enemy thinks you're unconscious-keep that to your advantage.

Kai became on full alert and listened for any sound. He didn't hear anything, but he could feel a presence next to him. He could tell by the breathing that the person was unconscious, so he decided it was fine to open his eyes.

After blinking a few times to adjust to the dim light, Kai opened his eyes fully and found himself in a lot worse situation then he had thought.

Across from him, slouched against the wall were Max, Michael, and Tyson all chained to the wall. Beside him, the presence he had felt, was none other than Ray. All of them were knocked out.

_That…That rat! How could I have been so naïve as to actually think he would let them go?_

Kai leant his head back against the cool metal. He hadn't been naïve, just desperate. The last thing he wanted was to introduce his teammates to all the suffering the abbey caused. Not even thinking about it, he made up his mind that he would do whatever it takes to protect them from the horrors he had experienced himself. _Even_ Michael.

Now to try and find a way out of this. Before he could create a plan, however, the person beside him started to stir.

"Err…My head. What happened?" moaned Ray. He opened his eyes and immediately became awake. Taking in everything, he looked next to him and saw Kai staring back.

"What the? Kai what's going on? Where are we and why are we all chained up?" exclaimed Ray.

Just then Kai thought of something.

"Ray, first of all be quiet. We don't want to attract attention. Second, I'll explain when the others get up because they'll probably want an explanation too."

"But-" started Ray.

"Just listen to me Ray. Can you reach into the pocket on leg?" Their hands were situated close enough the Ray could twist his around just enough to reach into Kai's pocket.

To Ray's surprise he pulled out a striking black mobile phone.

"Now pass it to me," commanded Kai. Ray reached his hands as far as he could and when he felt Kai's he dropped the phone. Kai caught it, but Ray still didn't understand what Kai could do with it. His hands _were_ tied behind his back. He looked at Kai's face and saw that he was concentrating. Then to his astonishment, Kai started to press several buttons. Before long the female voice programmed in the phone announced : "Your message has been successfully sent."

Ray watched as Kai twisted his own arm and placed his phone into his back pocket.

"Wow! That was awesome! How did you do that?"

Kai just shrugged in response.

"Who did you send a message to?"

"Tala," was the short reply.

Again with Tala. I really need to find out about this guy, thought Ray. He remained quiet as Kai had told him to, but as time went on Ray found himself getting more and more anxious. Where were they going? What did Boris want with them? He had been able to guess it was Boris who had taken them because he was the last person he remembered seeing before he passed out. Ray didn't have to wait long for answers though because soon the others started to groan and wake up also. Their reactions were very similar to his.

"Where are we?"

"What happened?"

"I'm starving!"

Okay so Tyson's reaction was a bit different.

After everyone became fully awake, they turned their attention to Kai to look for some answers.

"Alright, where are we, Hiwatari!" demanded Michael.

On a normal basis Kai would most definitely have ignored Michael, but he owed an explanation to his team. That was the _only_ reason he answered.

"Right now we are in a helicopter probably somewhere over the Pacific Ocean," Kai answered trying to sound casual. This only made Michael angrier, but before he could shout back Tyson interrupted.

"Why are we here, Kai, and why did Boris attack us in the park?" His voice wasn't as enthusiastic as usual and had a hint of worry in it.

Kai turned his head towards the ceiling and took a long sigh. Keeping his head staring up he replied, "I'll explain to you what I think may be going on, but in return you all must do everything exactly as I say." He glanced at the others out of the corner of his eye. Ray, Max, and Tyson nodded, and Michael had an irritated look upon his face. _Good enough_, he thought.

"Boris was in the park because he wanted to take me back to Biovolt," Kai replied simply.

"What! No way Kai you can't go back!" exclaimed Tyson.

"Figures, so when did you call the guy to pick you up?" asked Michael leering. In return he got elbowed by Max who was next to him.

"If I'm going to explain I want all of you to keep quiet till I'm done. I had no intention of going back to Biovolt. In case you didn't notice before I'm tied up the same as you, meaning I was forced to come. That's where headed."

"But Biovolt was-" Kai glared at Max to silence him.

"Shut down? I know. There are a handful of places identical to the abbey set up all around Europe and Asia. We're probably headed to one close to the original. Biovolt wants revenge on me for betraying them, that's why I was taken. They took you probably because you were all witnesses." Kai didn't say out loud that that was only half the truth.

"So they kidnapped us!" cried Tyson. "But…but that's illegal. And not only that but they tied us up."

Kai gave a small, twisted smile. "In case you haven't realized Tyson, a lot of what Biovolt does is illegal." _He should have known that from the past Championships._

"So what's the big bad Boris going to do, huh Kai? You say he wants revenge for you betraying them. Sounds like we both want the same thing," said Michael cruelly. Then turning to the others he said, "Can't you see he's trying to scare you? He's probably in cahoots with Boris. Even if not the worst they'd do is challenge us to a Beybattle. Not that I would waste energy helping _you_ Kai, but I have wanted a go at them myself."

Kai narrowed his eyes. _Could someone really be so wrong? _Suddenly Kai felt the plane start to descend and a wave of something close to fear spread over him.

"You okay, Kai?" asked Ray. He too noticed the shift in motion and wondered if they would be landing soon. Kai ignored him ,however, and addressed the whole group.

"Listen all of you. When the men come do not do anything. Don't speak, and don't disobey. No matter what they say or do." He looked at each one directly stressing this.

Man, did he hope this wouldn't be like before.

_

* * *

(Moscow, Russia)_

"Tala! How come you always pick on me," whined a short, big-nosed blader. "As team captain you're supposed to work with the _whole_ team. Not just spend your time trying to find ways to kill me with your training regimes."

The two bladers, Tala and Ian, had just returned to their apartment after Tala had given Ian some "private lessons."

"Stop your complaining, Shrimp. You should be grateful to learn from the best!" boasted Tala.

He walked over to the kitchen table and started to bite into an apple.

"The best? Hah!" Ian crashed onto the couch. "Where are Bryan and Spence?"

Noticing his phone on the counter was blinking, Tala picked it up and replied to Ian in a not-really-paying-attention voice, "They went to pick up some dinner."

Tala clicked on the message icon on his phone and the words:

**New text message from: Kai** appeared on his phone. He scrolled down and read the message. The phone fell from his hand and in an instant Tala was acting.

"Ian, get up and call Bryan and Spencer. Tell them to get back here immediately." Ian jumped up and without thought obeyed. Tala only used that tone of voice when something was wrong. He knew he better do what he says before asking questions though.

Alone on the table sat Tala's phone blinking:

**HELP BIOVLT**

_

* * *

( Somewhere Unknown) _

Once the helicopter landed the five boys were ushered off - not too politely - by two men dressed in Biovolt uniforms. Unfortunately they discovered Kai's phone and crushed it under their boots. Apparently they were too stupid to think he may have already contacted someone. Kai was just relieved it wasn't Boris leading them, although he knew he would be seeing him soon.

He could see the look of irritation by the others at being shoved around, but thankfully they didn't argue. _Of course it could be because it's hard not to notice the guns strapped around the men's waists. _One of the men gave Michael a hard push and he tripped to the ground. He grunted, got up, and was about ready to probably kill the man but saw the look on the man's face and knew he wasn't messing around.

After they where escorted off, Kai discreetly tried to take in his surroundings. Wherever they were it was freezing and he could see nothing but white! The helicopter had landed on the roof of a building, so it wasn't much time before they were all inside.

They were led through dimly lit, cemented hallways. The air was musty and a chill lingered in the air. Not only was it the cold, but….something else. Kai noticed there weren't any cells or signs of restraints. _Must be on the lower floors. _

The group was taken to a metal door and then forced inside. Oddly they weren't tied up.

"What a nice welcoming committee," was Tyson's sarcastic comment.

"Why thank you ever so much. Coming from you Mr. Granger I'll take that as a true honor." A new voice with malice said and the boys looked up and saw none other than Voltaire Hiwatari himself. He looked at each boy examining them closely, and when his gaze reached Kai that was where it stayed.

Every fiber of his being wanted Kai to attack this man. This was the man who had ruined his life - the man he had been worrying about for the last few months. There was _no_ worrying left now. The two locked gazes and if looks could kill then there would have been a massacre. Voltaire turned away first with a malevolent smile on his face.

("Welcome back, Grandson. Funny how no matter what you do you always end up back with me. Just the way I like it.")

("Shut up and don't you ever call me grandson! You want revenge, then go ahead I am right here.") To make his point Kai stood up, however he waited for Voltaire to make the first move. All of this took place while the other teens in the room watched on confused. They didn't know what transaction was going on between Kai and Voltaire, they only knew that whatever it was it was really getting Kai angry.

("Now Kai, you better watch that temper of yours. In case you have forgotten there are four other boys in the room. And what kind of impression would that make if someone were to get hurt,") Voltaire said innocently.

This calmed Kai a little bit. He new the meaning behind Voltaire's words.

("Let them go, they have nothing to do with Biovolt,") stated Kai lowering his tone. In reply Voltaire chuckled and stalked over towards the boys seated next to Kai who remained standing. They all looked nervous about the encounter that might be taking place. Looking over them with hungry eyes, Voltaire addressed Kai.

("They are not necessary, I'll say that much, but I always need fresh meat to play with.")

This hit Kai's last nerve. He dived toward Voltaire about ready to strangle him, but it was with blind rage so his movements were predictable. Voltaire who had been planning and hoping for this reaction dodged his grandson's attack and in return twisted his arm behind his back. Kai was surprised that a mid-sixty year old man could have so much strength and found himself not being able to get free. Suddenly a SMACK! right to his cheek sent him flying backward, landing on the ground.

Michael, Ray, Max, and Tyson watched this whole thing in amazement. Surprised at first by Kai's outburst and Voltaire's defense, but the thing that was like a blow to the stomach was the fact that Kai - The Kai Hiwatari - had just been hit by his own grandfather. Ray, Max, and Tyson made to get up to help him, but Kai stopped them. "Stay where you are."

Kai pushed himself off the ground and got into a sitting position, wiping at the forming bruise on his cheek. Now he knew what this was going to be like. Usually Voltaire wouldn't show violence in front of others, but apparently he planned to keep his team around. They were going to find out, so why not start now. Kai didn't like that one bit. He didn't want his team to see what went on here and had to stop them from seeing it. He just had to be careful about what he was going to say.

("Alright, Voltaire. You made your point. So what's the deal?")

("Deal? Hmmm…. Well I've missed you _tons_ grandson and although you're worth scum, you're still worth a lot more then these four. I could just get rid of them, but then that would be such a waste.") Voltaire mused to himself about the possibilities.

("I am _not_ going to stay here willingly. You want me for revenge, but you need me for your crazy experiments. Am I correct? As long as you don't lay a finger on any of them…I won't resist,") Kai said firmly although he had doubt in his mind. Voltaire's eyes glistened at this proposal.

("Hmmm…What a very tempting offer. You've grown so weak as to the point that you are willing to give up yourself for brats like them? How disappointing.") Voltaire walked over towards Kai and looked him right in the eye. ("You have a deal.") Voltaire grabbed Kai roughly by the hair yanking him up towards him. Keeping his hard grip he turned to Michael, Max, Tyson, and Ray. Three out of the four had just gotten on their feet ready to help their friend.

"Stop it you creep you're hurting him!" demanded Tyson. In response Voltaire pulled Kai's hair hard causing him to have to look up at the ceiling. Still he didn't make any sound or show any sign of struggle. _I made the deal, and now I live with the consequences._

"Oh my am I hurting him? I had no idea," said Voltaire tauntingly.

"Let him go," tried Max.

"I can't very well do that. You see we just made a deal, and I would hate to go back on my end of it. He pressed a button in his jacket pocket and a group of five guards came in.

"Take these four to cell C on the second level," Voltaire ordered. The teens were forcefully grabbed and shoved towards the door.

"You can't treat us like this! Wait till someone finds out!" shouted Tyson. All of them were trying to fight their way free, and the only one who seemed to have remembered what Kai said was Ray. Something told him that the more they fought the worse off they would end up.

"Guys just chill. Stop fighting," Ray whispered so only they could hear. All of them gave him a face, but surprisingly Max, Tyson, and Michael listened.

"What about Kai?" demanded Ray just before he was taken from the room. Voltaire, who had been running his fingers through Kai's hair, looked up and replied in a voice that sent shivers down Ray's spine, "Don't worry. He'll join you once we have had some time to 'catch up'."

Ray's eyes met Kai's just before he was torn from the room, and he could of sworn he saw a flicker of fear pass through his crimson orbs. He couldn't see what happened next though because the door was bolted behind him.

After the door was shut, the teens were led through a maze of hallways and down a few sets of stairs. All of them remained silent, taking in the unbelievable sights they saw while walking. They passed aisles and aisles of cells - all of which were empty. They saw a glimpse of rooms which contained machines they didn't even want to guess were used for. They even spotted on more than one occasion a wall splattered with a dark red stain. By the time they were thrust into a cell, the boys were beside themselves. Tyson beat against the bars. "You can't keep us in here! Come back here and open this door!" Michael could see the distress Tyson was feeling and tried to comfort him. He himself had become numb by what he had just seen.

"Tyson, come on just calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down!" shouted Tyson. "We're locked in a cell, miles from New York, and being kept by the hands of Biovolt." Ray rubbed his temples to try and relieve some stress, but Tyson's yelling didn't help any. Finally he decided to take charge.

"Tyson! Just be quiet! We all know the situation we are in. Yelling isn't going to get us anywhere. In case you didn't notice what went on between Kai and Voltaire, _we_ aren't the ones in danger right now. Kai made some kind of deal with Voltaire and because of it he put us in here - which, if you ask me, is far better than being where Kai is." Ray took a deep breath trying to calm down.

"How would you know what went on between them, Ray? Last time I checked you don't speak Russian," ordered Tyson. He had no idea why he was acting this way. It was if he was covering up fear with anger. But why was he taking it out on Ray?

"Call it intuition Tyson," was Ray's answer.

"Okay, so they made a deal. What good does that do us. Now Kai's back with Biovolt again and we are stuck in a cage? How does that put us in any better situation them him?" Tyson's mind was screaming at him to get control of his temper.

"Are you blind Tyson?!" Ray was practically glaring at him. He was so tired of everyone thinking Kai was the bad guy. "Didn't you see the way Voltaire was looking at Kai or find it odd the way he treated him?"

"Yeah, so? He was just trying to intimidate us. It's not like he would actually hurt Kai."

Ray shook his head at his friend. "I hope you're right, Tyson."

* * *

Back in the room with Voltaire and Kai, Ray's hopes were not being answered. As soon as the door had been shut Voltaire threw Kai towards the ground who caught himself on his hands. Voltaire's pleasant demeanor had turned into hate. 

"You thought you could have escaped from me, Kai? You belong to me!" He kicked Kai sharply in the stomach who fell back with the wind knocked out of him. Normally he could defend against a blow like that, but because of that cursed deal he had made he was a sitting duck and took the abuse like he did when he was younger. He waited for another blow, but shockingly none came. He looked up and saw Voltaire staring back.

"Oh don't think I'm done, but it wouldn't be fair if I didn't let an old friend of yours join in." His voice was back to sweet. The door opened again and because Kai was on the ground the first thing he saw was a pair of steel-toed boots. He didn't have to look up though, to know who it was.

"I'm going to leave you both alone a while. Tell me when you're done and then I'll finish my turn." It disgusted Kai how Voltaire talked about him like an object.

Voltaire left the room, and with in no time Kai was pulled by the hair again and came face to face with none other than Boris. He looked the man right into the eyes radiating his loathing for him.

"Hello, Master Kai. Welcome back to the abbey." Unexpectedly Boris's fist flew forward, sending Kai hurtling through the air.

"Oh now _this_ is going to be fun."

Kai got up and steadied himself. He may not be able to fight back, but he could still keep his pride. Unfortunately, Kai noticed that Boris was taking out one of his favorite weapons: a hard, brown, leather whip. It took a lot of his will power not to step back or charge forward when Boris brought it back ready to strike down, however he kept his ground and the whip cracked right against his shoulder. He made a movement to try and hold it, but Boris had already brought it back down again and this time it caught his hand. To Kai's dismay it wasn't long till he was back on the ground.

"You have gotten weak from the time you have been away, Master Kai, but don't worry; we'll fix that." Kai clenched his teeth as the merciless leather made contact with his leg.

_What did I ever do to deserve any of this?_

* * *

Wow! I did not want to stop writing that chapter. In all truth it's actually twice the size I intended it to be. I would keep writing, but it's one in the morning and I think I've kept you guys waiting long enough. Sorry for that by the way. I'm so happy I finally get to write some Kai torture. Wow, that really doesn't sound very humane. I'll really try to get the next chapter up quicker. 

Sorry for any mistakes I may have made.

Please Review!

-FlamingIce

P.S. Happy early Valentine's Day!


	15. Concealed Life Revealed

**Hello Fanfiction!**

The following people I mention are an asset to the site and to my work. Thanks to: Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, Balrog Roike, Uzumi, or-chan, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Cailany, carmanness, Elves of the Moon, Miako6, TalaTati19, black-lightning82, and Canyx

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. (Sighs)

( ) means Russian conversation and _italics_ mean Kai's thoughts.

**Chapter 15: Concealed Life Revealed**

In New York City it was very common to see police cars driving through the streets. The thing that was abnormal on this particular day was that there was one just pulling out of the BBA's apartment.

When no one had shown up back home last night, Judy and Bruce had contacted the police in hopes of locating them. However it had only been about sixteen hours since they went missing, and in order to file a report you had to wait a whole day.

Michael, Rick, and Emily had went to school that day in hopes of maybe finding their friends there, but the two adults stayed at home. Judy was seated slumped against the couch, her eyes red and puffy from tears of worry, and Bruce kept pacing all through the house as if he might find the group hiding. The only time they showed some sign of normal activity was when they heard three loud knocks on the door.

Bruce was the one to get there first and answer it, and he opened the door he got a big surprise. There, standing before him was the Russian Beyblading Team, the Blitzkrieg Boys. And they did _not _look happy. Before Bruce could even open his mouth, the one with lavender hair pushed him aside and entered the house with the others following behind.

"Hey, all of you. What do you think you're doing?" He had forgotten their names, but he addressed them the best he could.

The red-haired one turned around a look of irritation on his face. "Where's Kai," he demanded. This caught Bruce off guard for a minute, but then he recalled that this had been the team Kai had switched to during the last championships. Solemnly he replied, "He's not here." Then he added, "Him and the other Bladebreakers have been missing since yesterday." He heard Tala whisper something rather harshly under his breath. Then the enigma headed up the staircase with the others following behind.

"Wait a minute! First of all you just can't come barging in here, and second what do you want that has to do with Kai?" Bruce asked. All this confusion was really starting to get to him.

The Russian merely looked at him and then continued his way.

After the day he had had he meant business. After he had received the text from Kai he contacted Bryan and Spencer. Then the four caught a _long_ flight at the airport (they put it on Mr. Dickenson's tab) and traveled here. Tala had tried calling Kai's phone numerous times, but he never received an answer. He had to see if his friend was alright and since the last place he had been was New York, well then they had come to New York. Of course the whole time Bryan had lectured him on overreacting, but by the statement Bruce had just made apparently he had not overreacted at all.

Once at the top of the stairs, Tala ordered his team to split up to try and find which room may be Kai's. Spencer and Ian went up the next set of stairs, and Bryan and Tala checked the level they were on. It would have been easier to ask, but that just wasn't the way they worked. Bruce had gone to find Judy, still bewildered that their house was being invaded by the Russians.

The first room Tala looked into he found a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a variety of other articles of clothing strewn across the floor, a bag of potato chips laying on the bed, and a poster of the World Champion Beyblader on the wall. It didn't take long for Tala to figure out whose room this was: Tyson. Why he would have a poster of himself on the wall though, he couldn't fathom.

The next room Tala explored was far cleaner then than the first. In fact it was so neat he was sure it was Kai's. He went in and searched for anything that may indicate where his friend had gone. Searching through the drawers the only thing Tala found were a few spare blading parts. He walked over to the bed and fell down onto it.

You definitely aren't helping us any with finding you, thought Tala. Taking a deep breath he could smell Kai's familiar scent within the sheets he lie on. It had been so long since he had last seen his friend and to know he had lied right where he was now comforted Tala a little. Then the thought that he was missing came back and a frown was placed upon his face.

I will find you.

Tala got up and went to find the rest of his team. He found Bryan in the hall.

"There aren't any clues. We'll have to wait to see what Dickinson does. In the mean time we should probably let the two downstairs know we didn't come to break into their house. Maybe they know something."

Bryan wasn't sure whether Tala was talking to him, or to himself, but either way he nodded and went down the stairs to find Bruce and Judy. About half way down he realized that out of all his teammates, he was probably the last person who should be explaining to Bruce and Judy, especially given that he was the least social.  
All well, what's the worst that can happen? Bryan smirked as the thought ran through his head.

* * *

(Unknown Place)

Ray, Max, Michael, and Tyson sat in the cell trying to take some guess as to what was going on. It was so dark inside that they could only make out where each other was, but they couldn't really see the details of each others face.

"Do you think we'll be let out? I mean after Kai and his grandfather talk for a little," asked a hopeful Max.

Tyson, who had finally calmed down a bit after his outrage was the one to answer. "Sure Maxie. I bet Kai's talking with him right now getting us better…arrangements until we can fly out of here. This is probably all for show. You know how last championships Boris tried to scare us. He is doing the same thing now. But don't worry, there's no way Kai would let them keep us here. He may be cold, but he has ways of getting what he wants." Tyson's voice held confidence, but on the inside he wasn't really that sure.

Ray on the other hand wasn't even able to look at Max. He knew the boy wanted reassurance, but he himself didn't think this situation was going to end well. All he could do was try and believe Tyson was right, and that Kai would have them out of here soon.

* * *

Kai looked up at the ceiling and forced his body to stand again, his body covered in lacerations. Boris had been relentlessly attacking with his whip, but each time Kai stood back up. _The longer I'm here for the harder it will be to get back up. This is the only way right now that I can really irk Boris. Might as well annoy him for as long as I'm able._

Kai wasn't sure how long it had been since this first started, but after hit after hit, the pattern startlingly ceased.

Kai was on one knee with his head bent. He didn't look up, for any action may cause another strike.

"Well Master Kai, it seems you still haven't gotten rid of your bothersome behavior. Just what will we do about that?" Kai hated the way Boris taunted him using names such as 'master' and 'the Great Hiwatari.' It was one of the mind games he played. If Kai had grown up obeying Voltaire he would have risen to power and he very well would have been Boris's 'master,' however, things didn't work out that way._ It is like the prince addressing the court jester as his master._

"You know how much grief you've caused your grandfather," Boris rambled on. "He does nothing but talk about you." Boris's voice held a tinge of jealousy.

"Is that supposed to make me feel special? Because in all honesty it means the creep needs to get a life," Kai spat out. There was nothing in his deal with Voltaire that said he couldn't speak.

"You spoiled piece of filth!" Boris grabbed Kai by his shirt and shoved him against the wall. "It's an honor to even be acknowledged by Master Voltaire but you are his flesh and blood and don't even seem to care!" Suddenly Boris's eyes sparked and Kai knew that that definitely was not a good thing.

"I think I've come up with a new idea Kai-kisa.** (1) **

While keeping one hand on Kai to make sure he didn't move, Boris pulled out a sharp pocket knife. Twisting it in the light to make it gleam he looked at Kai with raving eyes.

Boris changed position and held Kai's chin with a hard grip, and with the other hand he dragged the knife across the middle of one of Kai's markings. Kai squeezed his eyes, but didn't make a sound. The cut wasn't deep, but Boris was going slowly making it sting with each place it touched. When it reached Kai's nose, the knife was pulled away and a trail of blood was rolling down Kai's cheek.

Opening his eyes, Kai looked at Boris and saw satisfaction in his eyes.

"As I said before, you are the flesh and blood of Master Voltaire." Boris ran his fingers along Kai's cheek, sending shivers down his spine. Boris fingered Kai's blood and to Kai's disgust licked it from his hand.

"Now, _I _have his blood," stated Boris triumphantly.

"You're sick!" yelled Kai. He knew Boris had always had an infatuation with Voltaire, but this was insane.

Boris merely grinned at Kai, his eyes analyzing the others face. "Thank you for giving me what I've desired for such a long time. I never realized it was so close. I have always enjoyed torturing you, Kai, but now I can use you for _other_ purposes."

Kai had no idea what Boris meant, but it didn't sound good.

Then, Boris tossed Kai to the ground. He brought down the knife and twisted it inside one of Kai's open wounds. A small gasp came from Kai, but after years of training it was going to take a lot more to get a much louder sound. Suddenly, Kai felt something metal be bound around his wrist. The knife was removed and with as little movement as possible, Kai tried to see what Boris had put on him.

"Just something to make my job a little easier," said Boris. Around Kai's wrist was a silver band snuggly locked. Kai tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge.

"Curious as to what it does?" Boris pulled out a small remote control and pushed one of the buttons. Kai's body jerked and a pulse was sent through him sending a wave of pain. The source came from the bracelet making that the place where the most energy came from. Kai grabbed at it on instinct and his hand became burned at the touch. Kai was thrashing on the ground when the power started to dissipate. Even so though, pain was still running through his body.  
"I'm disappointed. That was it turned on low. I wonder what reaction I'd get if I turned it to full power," pondered Boris aloud. Looking down at Kai he saw the boy was shaking. While laughing he kicked him. "Get up. It's time to take you to your new…room. I know you made a pact that you wouldn't run away, but let's call this device extra insurance."

Kai shakily stood up and was pushed through the door by Boris.

Walking-or more like being shoved through the halls, Kai took in each and every detail. The floor they were on now had nothing but doors on either side of the walls. He couldn't see inside of them because each one was shut. _Must be the training rooms._

He was taken down a set of crumbling stairs and led through another hallway. This one was occupied with doors also, but towards the end there were a few empty cells. _This is the floor they punish people on. _Kai tried not to think that he was going to probably end up spending a lot of time on this floor.

On the next level Kai was taken to there was nothing but rows and rows of cells down the narrow passage. _Where they keep their prisoners. _Then Kai realized that his team was probably in one of these cells. His body halted at the thought. _They're about to find out what Boris and Voltaire do to me!_

"Keep walking," Boris commanded pushing Kai. His voice echoed down the hallway and Kai made note that anyone in it could probably hear what was being said.

("Boris, don't lock me in the same cell as my team.")

("Oh so now you're making requests? Get moving I'll put you wherever I want,") snarled Boris. Kai did as he said but continued talking.

("You're going to allow them to see what actually goes on here?")

("Of course. Then maybe they'll see what a weakling they have for a captain.") They went down a few more rows and finally stopped in front of one. The cells weren't lit and Kai could only make out shadows within.

"Well, well Bladebreakers. I've brought back your captain. I hope you will enjoy your time together." Boris thrust open the door, threw Kai in, and slammed it shut. While he was walking away he heard an unfamiliar shout, probably from the All-Star blader who had also been taken.

"Boris! You let us out of here right now. Come back here you coward!"

Hmm…I'll have to have a chat with Kai later about the manners of his comrades. The thought made Boris smirk.

Back in the cell, Kai had stumbled in when Boris threw him. Ray was the first one to make it to him to see if he was alright. When he offered his help though, Kai swatted him away.

"Kai are you okay?" asked a concerned Ray. Kai leaned against the wall in his usual position - this time however it was more for support.

"Hn. I'm fine Ray."

"What happened? What did Voltaire say?" asked Max. He, Tyson, and Michael were seated on the floor, and seeing that Kai seemed okay Ray sat down too.

It was a while before Kai answered and finally Michael lost his patience. "What did they say, Hiwatari!" he demanded. Kai kept his eyes sealed, and the others could only make out the shadows of his face.

"We're stuck here for now." He said it so simply, but with finality.

"But what about Bruce and my mom. They'll be worried sick. And…and we aren't going to be locked in this place all night are we? They have to let us out." Max's voice was desperate.

Kai turned his head away from the group.

Putting his hand on Max's back to try and comfort him, Tyson tried to get some information out of Kai.

"Why isn't he letting us leave Kai. Does it have to do with our bit-beasts again? Is that what he wants? Cause if so just give me two minutes with his toughest blader and we will be free in no time." Tyson's voice was firm and full of assurance.

Then something unexpected happened. A small chuckle came from Kai.

"You are such an idiot Tyson," Kai's voice started off in a whisper, but it was slowly becoming louder. "Are you about to tell me that you're naïve enough to believe that Biovolt took us prisoner just because they wanted a beybattle?" Kai's tone of voice was really starting to scare the group of bladers. "If you all really want the truth, they don't even need you. You're merely here because you were witnesses. If you hadn't interfered and tried to 'help out,' then you would all be safe at home tucked into your beds." Ray bowed his head at this. Kai was talking about how he had gotten Tyson and Max to help him when he found that threatening note in their locker - the one that had been placed by none other than Michael.

"What are they going to do with us then?" Michael's voice wasn't as demanding as before but almost sheepish. Finally Kai looked at them and his eyes seemed to glow.

"Don't tell me you are frightened. Especially you Michael who was always so tough. Why I'm sure that _you _could handle Biovolt all by yourself."  
As soon as Kai finished the sentence something inside him clicked. _What am I doing? _Tala had always told him that after he spent some 'quality time' with Boris or Voltaire that he would come back angry. Mostly at himself. He would then let his anger out on whoever was by him. After Tala had pointed it out Kai had been able to get a handle on it, but this time he must had forgotten to keep himself in check. It worried him how much his voice had sounded like Boris. _I'm trying to get them through this not scare them crazy._

"Sorry." The apology was so soft that only Ray had heard it. The neko-jin wasn't sure about what had just happened, but he knew something was up with Kai. Out of instinct he walked over to him and placed a hand on Kai's shoulder to comfort him.

Kai, who hadn't seen the movement, gasped at the contact made on his raw skin. Ray immediately pulled away.

"What is it Kai?" Then Ray felt his hand and noticed it was wet. It was to thick to be water though. He looked over at Kai who was observing everything Ray was doing but was still wordless. Ray moved his hand in front of his face, and could faintly make out a red liquid. Gasping, Ray turned back to Kai, and moved closer. Kai didn't make any movement but instead closed his eyes. _I guess it's pointless to hide. I'm going to end up worse then I am now and they'll find out anyways._

Ray was now right in front of Kai and looking him up and down. Now that he was closer he could see the slashes and blood that covered Kai and the cut running across his cheek.

"Kai…What?…Who?" Ray's mind had stopped working.

"What's wrong Ray?" asked Tyson who was still a bit hurt at being yelled at by Kai.

Ray was shaking his head back and forth and finally his golden orbs landed on Kai's crimson ones. Ray couldn't make out any emotion within them, just a strange hint of something.

"Go ahead." The words were so soft that Ray had to think twice whether he had heard them uttered from Kai's lips.

"What is it?" asked Michael.

"Kai, you're bleeding everywhere." Finally Ray's mind started to work again and he was examining the wounds seeing which would be the best way to treat them.

"Bleeding? What are you talking about?" Tyson came to stand next to Ray and was stunned at the sight.

"Whoa, Kai!" Kai stared at the wall next to him.

"I would appreciate it if you would shut your mouth Tyson. It's not a pleasant site." Kai's calm voice completely betrayed his feelings.

"Not a pleasant site? And you think this is?" Tyson pointed toward him. "Who did this to you?"

When Kai didn't answer Tyson pulled his arm. He didn't hit a wound, but the movement still stung on his bruised body.

"Tyson!" Ray exclaimed.

"What? He is _not_ going to just stand there and ignore me. Who did this to you Kai?" Tyson was demanding an answer. No one had ever seen him this serious, but when it came to his friends he wasn't messing around.

Kai looked Tyson dead in the face. "Boris." He was staring him down and could plainly see the sternness in Tyson's eyes swirl into surprise and horror. The others stared on in shock.

"B…Boris did this to you Kai?" asked Ray. He was trying to think of some sort of explanation. Kai just looked at him.

"But why?"

"Why?" Kai pondered this question aloud. "For revenge, punishment, and for his sick enjoyment." His voice was emotionless.

"Enjoyment?"

The cell was silent for a moment.

"Does Voltaire know that Boris did this?" Tyson's question broke everyone from their thoughts.

Kai raised an eyebrow at the question, and shook his head at his team's stupidity. The others mistook the action for his response as 'no.'

"Then just tell Voltaire what Boris did and he'll fire the guy and we can be set free."

"As I said before, Tyson, you…are…an idiot." Kai paused in between each word to get across his point.

"Huh?" asked Tyson. Kai took a breath and finally let out the secret he had been keeping for years.

"Of course Voltaire knows! Who do you think ordered Boris to do this to me in the first place! I disobeyed his orders and this was my punishment so stop making such a big deal about it!" He knew he would regret those words later, but in all honesty Kai felt a huge relief now.

"Stop making such a big deal? Kai you talk as if this is normal. How long has Voltaire been having Boris hurt you?" This time the question was from Ray. Kai didn't answer. Suddenly something in Ray's head 'clicked.' The scars he had seen on Kai in the locker room, the way Kai had told him his past wasn't so great.

"They've been doing this since you were little in the abbey, haven't they? Those scars on your back aren't from Brooklyn's battle." Kai' face remained stoic.

"Kai, if that's true then Voltaire - your grandfather - is abusing you. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"First of all, don't you _ever _refer to him as my grandfather. That bond was broken long ago. And second, I didn't tell anyone because it is my problem and I can deal with it." Kai's voice was stern.

Ray was at a loss. He had thought that him and the Bladebreakers had been able to break down all of Kai's barriers, where in reality they hadn't even scratched the surface. Heck-he had been abused by his own family and they didn't even know about it. Ray wasn't sure how much Kai had had to endure during his life, but if it was anything similar to the shape his body was in now - Ray could not even grasp that.

Tyson was for once in his life speechless. Kai - the untouchable, emotionless Kai that no one dared touch paths with - had been physically hurt by his own family. Family! The people who were supposed to love and care for you. He had known Kai didn't have the most perfect family, but to have been ordered to be hit by his own grandfather was crazy.

Similar thoughts ran through the minds of the other occupants of the cell. Max, who had never really seen violence, at least not in reality, was trying to get past the fact that one of his friends was being harmed right under his nose. Even Michael was feeling slightly guilty for some things he had said.

"Kai…We had no idea. We're-" Tyson was cut off by Kai. The pity he saw within Tyson's stormy eyes only made him angry. _That's the last thing I want._

"Stop giving me your pathetic pity! I don't want it or need it. You didn't know because I wanted it that way. I've been fine on my own so far and I don't need your help." Kai's words were only half true. He very much wanted someone to be there for him and help him, but he couldn't risk others lives.

After that was said no one else spoke. What could they say!?

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours and before long four out of the five were asleep. With everything that had happened that day they all were exhausted. The only one up was, low and behold, Kai.

He was seated against one of the walls watching as his team slept. His wounds had stopped bleeding and now he was just pondering his situation. _Maybe I should have made a better effort to try and hide what happens to me here. Then again what could I have said these cuts were from? _His gaze trailed up to the ceiling. _After we get out of here they'll definitely do away with me now. I can't blade, I'm a traitor, and now they'll think I'm a charity case. Then again I may not have to worry about that because we, or at least I won't be leaving here anytime soon. The worst part is Dranzer isn't even with me._

The sound of a clock echoed throughout the halls signaling that it was five-o-clock. Soon the day would begin and Boris would be back again. Turning his gaze back to his teammates, Kai had another thought. _At least now you will find out why I am the way I am, and maybe I won't be alone going through this. _He considered the idea so selfish that he banished it quickly from his head.

**

* * *

(1) kisa :** Russian term of endearment meaning 'pet.' 

Well another chapter written and posted! My birthday's tomorrow so consider this my present to all of you.

I _am_ asking a small favor. I created a poll on my profile page asking who everyone's favorite Beyblade character is. I had this new idea for a one-shot and I wanted to know whose point of view to make it from.

Besides that thank you so much for reading!

Please review!

-FlamingIce


	16. Caged Like a Bird

Thank you to: Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, Balrog Roike, or-chan, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Cailany, Miako6, TalaTati19, Nameless Little Girl, fawks136, Naenna, KaiFanGirl, Kailover2007, Wah- Keetcha, starrysnow, see-no-evil-san, and Canyx for reviewing.

**This was my record number of reviews for a chapter! Thank you soooooo much!**

From now on when I mention the Bladebreakers that will include Michael. It is a lot easier that way.

_Italics_ mean Kai's thoughts

( ) mean Russian

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Beyblade or any of the characters. (Except in my heart) (Sighs!)

**Chapter 16: Caged like a Bird**

The pounding of footsteps awoke Ray. At first he was relieved because he thought that everything that had happened had been only a dream. Looking around, however, it was not long before he realized that it was not a dream, but actually a nightmare reality. There was filtered light coming through a covered window. It hardly could be considered sunlight, but it was bright enough to allow Ray to clearly see the occupants of the cell. Right now he appeared to be the only one awake. Tyson was slumped against Max emitting a gurgling sound; Michael was in a peculiar position laying on the floor, and Kai - Kai!

Now that he could see his team captain clearly, he realized he was in worse shape than he had thought. Dried blood was caked over scabbing gashes. Luckily they had not been too deep or he might have died from blood loss over the night. His jacket was ripped and torn as were parts of his shirt underneath. He also had scratches covering his usually smooth, flawless face.

"Good morning Ray. You do realize staring is not polite." Kai's face remained so still with his eyes closed that Ray had to think twice before realizing he was not asleep. How did he do that? Kai was always able to tell what someone was up to without even having his eyes open.

"I was just about to wake the others. Hurry before Boris gets here." The order seemed sudden, but Ray heard the footsteps getting louder and quickly obeyed Kai's command. He shook Michael and Max who both woke up instantly. They were still groggy, but they had been sleeping light due to the circumstances. Ray tried to wake Tyson, but when he shook the younger boy he was swatted away.

"…ive…utes." Tyson mumbled.

"Tyson, wake up now or we are going to be in serious trouble!" Ray whispered in the others ear.

"…"

Kai who had been watching this started to get irritated. No telling what Boris would do if he found Tyson asleep.

"Tyson. Eggs, toast, and no training for the first one down to the table," Kai said. Immediately the navy-haired teen was on his feet even before his eyes were open. Once awake, however, he became disappointed.

"What! You guys lied. And I was having a good dream too," humped Tyson sitting back down. "What time is it anyway? I feel like I slept for only ten minutes."

"Why it's five AM, Mr. Granger. The time everyone here at the abbey gets up and starts their day." The new voice shocked everyone and their heads turned to look at the door of the cell. One guess as to who it was.

"I see you woke your team up, Master Kai. Very good. Just in time for training too." Kai's eyes remained closed. His expression was indifferent, but he was listening intently.

His eyes only opened when he heard Tyson's voice. He had always wanted Tyson to be quiet, but with the words Tyson just uttered, he wished more than ever that he was mute.

"How dare you show your face here Boris. After what you did to Kai. And _now _youwant us to train with you. Why if these bars weren't between us I'd hurt you with my bare hands." Kai's eyes darted over to Boris whose face and posture remained the same, but Kai could see in his eyes he was thinking murder for such disrespect.

"How unfortunate that I can't make _you_ train. And as for Kai, well I thought the return home present I gave him was very nice. I'm very insulted you don't think it appropriate."

"You disgusting-"

"That's enough Tyson!" If Kai didn't stop Tyson from talking then he would surely end up getting him killed. In return to Kai's outburst Boris smiled.

"Why thank you Kai. It seems your teammates do not know the ways things work around here. Shame you never told them." Kai's gaze still didn't meet Boris's.

"Well now, I think it's time for our first lesson. Get up Kai," Boris demanded.  
As much as Kai despised the man, he still reluctantly obeyed. The others were flabbergasted that Kai was doing what Boris said. He never took orders from anyone. Ray stood up, trying to block his way.

"Kai, you can't go with him. He'll hurt you again."

"He'll hurt you again," Boris taunted. Kai still remained impassive.

"Get out of my way Ray," he ordered, shoving the boy aside. Boris unlocked the cell, and as soon as Kai walked through the door seized Kai's arm. Kai didn't make any sign that he had noticed. Right before Boris slammed the door shut, Tyson shoved against it keeping it open.

"If you think we're going to sit by and let you take him to do who knows what, then you've got another thing coming. I don't care if you don't want our help Kai, we're your friends and I am not going to stand by while they hurt you." To the Bladebreakers Tyson's voice was noble and brave, but to Kai it sounded like his death sentence.

Boris stopped trying to shut the cell door, and allowed Tyson to open it fully. Once he and the others were out though, they were grabbed by guards who were lurking in the shadows of the hallway.

Boris started chuckling. He waved his hand giving a silent order to the guards. The Bladebreakers struggled futilely against their captors.

("What are you doing? You said you wouldn't harm them,") said Kai, trying to see where his teammates were being taken. It was in the opposite direction and he did not like not knowing what was about to happen to them.

("Young Kai, no harm will come to them I assure you.") Boris's voice was sinister.

Kai's hand was balled into a fist.

* * *

The team was led up a floor and then they entered into an empty room. The walls were stone just like everywhere else, except for one wall had a white screen covering it. Chains decorated another wall and that was where they were placed. The guards roughly grabbed each of their arms and locked them up so they couldn't leave the walls. 

"You aren't allowed to treat people like this!" Tyson's words were deaf to the guard's ears as they exited the room. He began tugging uselessly at the chains that bound him.

"I can't believe this!" said a frustrated Michael. "We've been treated and locked up like animals for the last two days. Not to mention how this place treated Hiwatari!"

"Why would Kai just go with Boris. He never listens to anyone, and then when he finally does it is to Boris," Ray whispered mostly to himself, however everyone heard it.

"Maybe…Maybe Kai knows what he is doing. I mean he has dealt with Boris and Voltaire a lot more than we have. He could have a plan," offered Max trying to be optimistic. He was quickly shot down by Michael though.

"Oh yeah, he's done a great job dealing with them Max! Are you blind or did you just not see all the gashes he had? Hiwatari's stuck in here the same as all of us and you shouldn't be relying on him. If anything prepare yourself. We could be the next ones to be hurt like that. I bet-"

"That's enough Michael! I know how you don't exactly like Kai, but are you really so heartless as to only worry about yourself!" exclaimed Ray. His face was filled with disbelief of the other blader's selfishness.

"_I'm_ heartless? It is Hiwatari's fault we are all in here - and he hasn't even apologized or shown even a hint of remorse! You three are completely naïve to keep trusting and forgiving him," shot Michael.

The room fell silent. No one knew what to say. The Bladebreakers had always been unsure whether or not they should trust Kai, had they made the wrong choice?

"No! You are wrong Michael." Ray said his answer with confidence because of the conversation he had had with Kai just a couple of days previous. He was about to say more when suddenly the screen in front of them lifted up and a glass window was revealed that shown through to the next room.

In the other room, the door started to open and suddenly a blue flash flew inside and hit the floor, followed by none other than Boris.

"Kai!" Tyson, Max, and Ray had yelled, but the teen didn't seem to hear. They did, however, hear Boris's voice on the other side.

"Now we begin your lesson Kai."

Kai who had stood up as soon as he hit the ground, stood glaring at Boris.

Then it hit Ray, Kai couldn't see them. It must have been a two sided wall where they could see Kai ands Boris, but Kai and Boris couldn't see them. The others quickly figured this out too. All of them watched intently seeing what would happen.

Boris moved a step closer to Kai, and then another. Soon, he was directly in front of him, and still Kai remained unmoving keeping his glare on the so called 'director' of the abbey.

Boris laughed, mocking Kai, and then suddenly slapped him across the face sending him back. Kai only stumbled and quickly regained his balance not showing any pain.

"You know young Kai, it seems I may be having some trouble getting used to your teammate's behavior." Boris advanced on Kai, punching him in the gut and then kicking him to the floor.

Kai had to restrain himself with each blow so that he didn't instinctively defend and retaliate. He landed on the ground and before he could get up felt a boot connect with his lower abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. Boris continued talking, but his voice changed again; back to venomous. It still amazed Kai how quickly Boris's moods would change. _Bipolar much? _

"You heard how they talked to me, and it was awfully disrespectful. You should know better than anyone about being disrespectful!"

Boris kicked his head, not hard enough to knock him out, but hard enough to send stabbing pain through his skull. Spots clouded his vision and he squeezed his eyes tight, still not making a sound. He felt himself being grabbed by the shirt and shoved against a wall.

"I have a solution though. Since I'm not able to punish those brats, you can take their punishment for them. After all it's your fault they do not know how to behave around here." Boris looked at the wall behind them and gave a sinister wink. Kai didn't notice.

On the other side of the wall, the Bladebreakers felt like _they _were being tortured. Watching how their untouchable captain was being thrown around like an animal. No matter how much they called out though, it appeared he didn't hear them. They however, were able to hear every word Boris said. They had been the ones to talk back to Boris and now Kai was being hurt for it. They didn't know why Boris didn't hurt them, but they now knew why Kai had told Tyson to be quiet earlier. He had known what was going to happen. Why he didn't tell them, they could not figure out.

"Why does he just stand there and do nothing!" shouted an almost crying Max.

"I have seen him fight before, he could easily block those blows but he doesn't. Why?" said Ray horror-stricken at what was taking place.

"Let us see," said Boris on the other side of the window, "whose punishment should you take first. How about that arrogant Tyson Granger's. If I recall correctly, he said something about me hurting you. Tell me Kai. Am I hurting you?"

Boris banged Kai's already throbbing head against the wall and tossed him down.

"And he threatened me too. Now I think that calls for a more extreme punishment."

He placed his foot on Kai's left hand and stomped down hard, crushing the bones of some of Kai's fingers. Kai gritted his teeth, and once Boris let go he grasped his burning hand.

"I didn't know this was going to happen! I'm sorry Kai. You always said I had a big mouth…Just fight back. Do _something _to protect yourself!" shouted Tyson hysterically.

Boris rambled on.

"Who's next on the list? Aww yes, that Michael boy called me a coward. He may not be your teammate Kai, but still you _are _the one protecting him," Boris reminded. He lifted Kai up and punched him right in the jaw. Kai landed back on the ground and felt a trickle of blood running down his lip.

_This is pathetic! I can't even fight back. At least before that option was always open. _

"And that other teammate of yours. A filthy neko-gin! He's not even worth remembering his name. Perhaps there _is _someone in this world even lower than you," sneered Boris.

Ray felt a lump in his throat. His race had always been discriminated, but it still hurt to hear people talking about you like an animal.

When Kai heard Boris though, it added to his anger ten-fold. He pushed himself to his feet. "What did you say," he demanded.

"That race can hardly be called human. They are nothing but mistakes of nature and should be done away with," continued Boris.

"Shut up! Ray is ten times the type of person you'll ever be. You call someone barely human when you're nothing but filth yourself." Kai honestly had no idea what he was doing, but his body was starting to shake with anger.

Inside the other room, Ray was shocked that Kai was protecting him. He had never heard his team captain speak so highly of him, or anyone else for that matter. If the circumstances were different, he probably would have even laughed at the feeling it brought him.

"Why you little. Why is it that you defend your teammates so much, Kai? It seems to me you are closer to them then you let on. Is that true?" Both of them were locked in a glaring contest. _Why do I protect them? _Kai's thoughts were taken back to the discussion he had with Ray a few days earlier.

"Kai, Kai, Kai. I believe I've taught you time and time again that by making bonds with others only makes you weak. It seems I will just have to teach you again." Boris punched Kai again in the cheek and grabbed him by the hair while he was slightly stunned. He ripped off the teen's jacket and tore off his shirt, revealing the wounds he had made the day previous. Throwing him face first against a wall, he twisted Kai's hand behind his back so he could not move. He put emphasis on squeezing the already broken fingers. Although Kai could not see, he knew what was coming next. This was not the first time this had happened to him.

The Bladebreakers gasped at Boris's sudden behavior, and were shocked at the state of Kai's body. It had not only the wounds from yesterday covering it, but it was also covered with scars. Ray had only caught a glimpse of the scars that day in the locker room, now seeing them clearer he realized just how bad they were. All along the teen's stomach and arms the abused flesh stood out against pale skin. How Kai had been able to keep them hidden from the team for so long no one knew. It must have taken a great effort.

Boris extracted a knife from his coat pocket, adding to the Bladebreakers disbelief.

"He wouldn't," trembled Max.

"Boris you good for nothing creep get away from him!" shouted Tyson futilely.

"I believe you know how this works young Kai," cooed Boris. "By the way, how are the Blitzkrieg Boys?" Without warning the knife carved into Kai's skin right below his shoulder blade making a forever lasting 'T.' Boris kept talking as he worked at his project.

"I do miss them, we always had such fun."

He drew out engraving the next four letters. When he finished, Kai took a deep breath. It was short lived though, because just as suddenly the knife came into contact again, this time below the first design, adding an 'M.'

"It's funny, because I distinctly remember doing this same thing because of them." He ended the next line, but this time he didn't waste any time for Kai to breath and stabbed deeper than any of the previous letters. Kai couldn't help emitting a small sound escape his mouth.

"Oops sorry. Did I go to deep? Of course since you consider the neko-gin so special, I wanted to make him the most unforgettable of the group." Kai bit down on his lip trying not to think about the pain.

"I even placed his name right under that favorite red head of yours. Hmm…actually now that I think about it Tale may actually be lower than that freak."

Kai growled, causing Boris to smile. He knew just how to vex Kai.

Finishing the last letter of his masterpiece, Boris turned Kai around and scraped his back against the wall. Kai's lip started to bleed from biting it to hard, adding to the blood already dripping from the punch earlier. His eyes had fire burning within them.

"Don't tell me you you're upset by what I said," said Boris. "It's only the truth. That boy is pathetic and useless. Good for nothing but a whore."

Kai had had enough long ago. No one _ever _talks about Tala like that. He dived at Boris connecting with his head. It was the reaction Boris had wanted, but it was still unexpected. Kai's fists flew at the others head and landed a direct punch right in his nose. He went for another and ended up hitting his cheek. Boris shoved Kai off of him grabbing for the remote in his pocket. Just as Kai was about to attack again, Boris hit the highest level on the control. Kai's body went rigid, and then bolts of electricity started coursing through it. He let out a cry and was writhing in pain on the ground. Boris stood up and wiped the blood leaking form his nose. He looked down at the boy on the ground with murder in his eyes and landed a hard kick.

The Bladebreakers had no idea what had happened. First they were excited that Kai had finally fought back, but then something must have happened because he just suddenly stopped.

Kai couldn't think. Every fiber of his body was on fire. He felt a blow to his stomach and the pain was intensified. The wounds on his back were sizzling and his breathing became shortened with each breath.

"How dare you lay your hands on me. You are not even fit to be in the same room. I was playing nice with you before, now I'll make sure you that you never do something like that again!" Boris's eyes scanned over the teen's shaking body and laughed. "This is only the beginning of your first lesson, so get used to it you brat!" Boris leaned next to Kai's face and spit. "Worthless." The man then pressed the button again and the band around Kai's wrist ceased to emit electricity. Boris then stalked out of the room, but before he left he addressed Kai one last time.

"See where having _friends_ gets you." He then left, slamming the door behind him.

Kai's body was throbbing with pain. He gritted his teeth together and raised himself to his knees. His arms were shaking, but he proceeded to push himself up to his feet. He swayed for a minute, but used the wall for support.

_Weakness, absolute weakness! How could I be so pathetic? _He banged his right fist against the wall, his anger renewed. This time however, it was at himself. His back was dizzling blood and he could barely move his fingers. Not to metion the damage the band around his arm had just caused. He could smell the burning flesh around his wrist.

Inside the other room, the Bladbreakers were struck by the horror of what just took place. To have to stand there and watch each of their names being inscribed on Kai's back - to have to witness the pain he had just went through and not be able to do anything. They remained silent as they saw their friend struggle to get up, and then vent his anger. They had seen Kai angry before, but the way he had attacked Boris was blind rage. His bond with Tala must have run deeper than they had first thought.

"This was like routine almost. This wasn't the first time Boris has done this to Kai." Max was the one to break the silence. Even he was able to see that this abuse wasn't new for the teen. He had tears at the corner of his eyes. "Why didn't he ever say anything? He could have told us and we could have gotten him help! Mr. Dickinson, Bruce-anybody!" Max's voice was trembling and the others could relate to how he was feeling.

"He has lived with Voltaire most of his life hasn't he? That means he was raised being treated like this." This realization hit them all hard. Tyson could not accept it.

"No way! He probably had only lived with Voltaire for a few months before we met him. I mean he had to have lived with his parents," said Tyson. But why would they let this happen to him? Was his afterthought.

"What do we do? Do we mention what we saw to Kai?" asked Ray looking through the glass separating the older teen. He could clearly see the frustration on the other teens face.

"Let's see how he acts first. If he completely ignores us then we will question him on what we saw." Tyson's suggestion was actually logical.

"Guys, you don't think what they are doing to Kai happened to the Blitzkrieg Boys too, do you? I mean by the way Boris was talking about Tala, it does sound like it." Max's question stirred new curiosity throughout the group.

Maybe Russian secrets run deeper than any of us could have imagined, thought Ray.

* * *

The door to the room Kai was in opened and two guards stepped in. Kai glanced at them both. _I have to calm down and control myself. I already lost it once; I don't think I can afford to lose it again. _  
He allowed the two guards to take him by the arms and lead him out of the room. _At least I won't see Boris the rest of the day. He'll be too busy coming up with new ways of how to get back at me. I've done this all before though, I will get through it. _The guard to the left of him yanked his arm to the left turning to a new passage way. Even the small jerk sent a tremor of pain through his arm. _Before I had you though, Dranzer, now I'm by myself. You always helped to relieve some of the pain, even if it meant taking it upon yourself. I hope I can be as strong as you. _Kai heard a small sound. Looking up, he peered into one of the cells and could make out a lone figure. One of the 'students' training there. He didn't get a good look, but it was enough. _I will be strong enough Dranzer, for the both of us. This time, though, I will finish Voltaire and Boris for good._

* * *

"Are you boys sure you have no idea where we would be able to find them?" questioned Mr. Dickinson for the umpteenth time. He, Bruce, and Judy were sitting in his office along with the Blitzkrieg Boys. Apparently, the Russians had decided to take it upon themselves to raid the BBA's house. After some disputing, a broken vase, yelling, and some threats, Judy had finally called Mr. Dickinson and they had all ended up in his office. 

"We have told you already. We do not know where they are. That was the reason we paid a visit to their house," grounded out Tala. They had already explained this numerous times. "All we know is that they were taken by Biovolt."

The Russians had agreed on the way there that they were going to need help if they were going to get Kai back. They may not like it, but the BBA was their only hope.

"How do you know it was Biovolt?" questioned a suspicious Bruce.

Tala glared at the man. He had already taken a disliking to him. "I got a message earlier from Kai." Bruce challenged the blader's glare, but eventually looked away first.

"There is not much in my power that I can do," said Mr. Dickinson, "I have alerted the police and there are already many people on Bois and Voltaire's trail for escaping out of prison. All we can do is wait."

Tala slammed a fist on the man's desk. "We do not have time to wait! We need to find them now!"

Mr. Dickinson remained calm; he knew that Tala was quick-tempered and that this situation was stressful for him and his teammates. They had just been rid of Biovolt a few months ago and already they had come back. Still he had trouble grasping the idea that Voltaire would capture his own grandson. Apparently Voltaire and Kai's relationship was worse than he first thought.

"Please, Tala. Just calm down."

Tala was about to say more when Spencer put a hand on the red-head's shoulder. Tala took a deep breath and backed off. He went over to a corner of the office with his team while Mr. Dickinson continued talking with Bruce and Judy. Mostly they were words of comfort.

("We need to do something. It will be too late by the time the police find them. They could be anywhere in the world,") said Ian. Tala looked at each of his teammates. His eyes landed on the lilac blader of the group. He noticed that Bryan was rubbing his fingers together on his left hand. A habit he usually did when he was thinking of an idea.

("Any suggestions, Bryan?") Asked Tala.

Bryan who had been looking at the ceiling lowered his head and looked directly at his captain.

("Yeah. Just one.)"

* * *

So sorry about that dreaded cliffhanger. Believe me; it hurts me more than it hurts you. 

I apologize for making the characters a little OOC. I am really trying not to, but it just ends up that way. Also sorry for the lame Kai torture.

Thanks for reading!

-FlamingIce


	17. Consequences

* * *

Hey guys and gals! I seriously cannot tell you how much I appreciate your reviewing. I got a record number for last chapter. 25 reviews!

So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to:

Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, or-chan, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Cailany, Lhune, TalaTati19, Nameless Little Girl, fawks136, Smiffyizdabest, Kutoki, Wah- Keetcha, susie25, Kineo, luv.miseryink, sasuke chica, black-lightening82, kavbj, UNpReDiCtAblE lIfE, and Canyx.

I dedicate this next chapter to all of you!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. But I do own my plot: D**

( ) means Russian

_Italics _mean Kai's thoughts.

**Chapter 17: Consequences **

"Mr. Dickinson," questioned a certain red-haired teen slyly, "do you mind if I borrow your laptop?"

The head of the BBA turned to Tala with a questioning glance. He was talking with Bruce and Judy still, and it seemed a very odd request. Still, he could not find any harm in it.

"Umm…Sure, here you are Tala," said Mr. Dickinson handing the teen his laptop. "May I ask what you need it for?"

Tala did not let anything show on his face and as he was walking out to the hall he replied, "I am outside if you need me." With that, the teen exited the office.

Out in the hall, Tala found his team sitting in a bunch of chairs lined up against the wall. Bryan was whispering rapidly to them in Russian.

Tala flopped down into a seat and handed the computer to Bryan as he finished explaining.

("You think this will really work?") asked Ian watching the older teen click on the screen and start to type rapidly.

("It's the best we've got,") said Spencer leaning back in one of the chairs. Ian copied his stance. All he could do now was watch as Tala and Bryan tried to find the location of their brother.

* * *

(Biovolt)

**Tyson's POV**

101...102...103...104. Well, one hundred and four bricks lined against the wall. It doesn't really look like that many. Then again, they're so molded; it's hard to tell where one starts and the other ends. If someone would just take the time to repaint them, then it wouldn't be-GAH! What am I doing? We are in the middle of a crisis and I am over here thinking about home remodeling!

What is taking Kai so long to get back? He left the room before us, and the guards still have not brought him back. Who would have guessed the guy had so many secrets? Sure he always kept to himself, but I thought that was just because that was who he was. Now seeing what he has had to go through - none of us were ready for it.

Maxie has been on the verge of tears since we got taken, and with each thing that happens I'm afraid it will cause him to finally breakdown.

Ray has not spoken since we saw Kai being punished. It hurt him deeper than I can imagine having to watch Kai being punished just because of his race. None of us really thought a thing of it, but apparently it was not the first time he has been put down because of his culture. But when Kai defended Ray…I have never seen Ray so shocked in my life! He looked like a gaping fish! I guess it just proves that Kai really does care for us. Woooo! Go Kai!

I am not sure what Michael's thoughts on this whole experience are. I never noticed how much he disliked Kai until Ray pointed it out. I wonder if he feels guilty after seeing Kai being treated like this. I know I do.

Having to watch as that creep Boris carved each of our names into his back. And just because we are his friends too! I remember getting so frustrated at Kai because he would never actually say the word 'friends.' It would always be either 'comrades' or 'teammates.' Never friends though. This at least helps to explain why.

The only good part of this situation is that it may help us to find out a little more about Kai. But that is definitely not worth the price he has to pay.

Hearing someone yelling, I snap my head up.

**End Tyson's POV**

From inside their cell, the Bladebreakers were able to see two guards walking past that stopped right in front of their cell. They saw that they were dragging something, but could not see what. Instead of turning to them though, the guards opened the cell on the opposite side of the hall and threw whatever it was to the ground. A familiar, angry snarl gave away who the something was. Once the guards stalked away, all four teens were immediately to the bars of the cell.

"Kai! Kai is that you?" There was no response.

"Please answer us Kai. We just want to make sure you are all right." Tyson knew the other teen wasn't, but he knew it would also get an answer out of him.

"I am fine." was the solitary reply. As he said it though, Kai knew it was the biggest lie he had ever told in his life. He had blood covering him, most of it coming from his back, his fingers were more than likely broken, and his body would not stop shaking due to that device Boris had used on him. Oh yeah, he was in great shape.

He pushed himself over to a corner and leaned his head against the cold wall. It was like ice, but it helped to numb some of the pain. He could hear shouts coming from the cell across from him, but he did not have the want or energy to answer them. He was relieved that his team had not been harmed, but they were really starting to get on his nerves.

He refused to believe what Boris had been telling him about friends being weak. He had believed that once and he would never believe it again. It was just hard for him to learn to trust. Right now though, the Bladebreaker's behavior was really starting to get annoying. He could not blame them because they had not been raised the way he had so they did not know how to act, but was it _so_ hard for them to keep their mouths shut?

His mind wandered over to Tala. What Boris had said about him had gotten him so angry, and now as a consequence he was practically a dead man standing. Then again, death would be kind compared to what he was going to get. _It was worth it though. _He smirked. _Tala's going to kill me himself when he finds out what I did. _He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. He knew he should probably treat his wounds before they become infected, but his body was too exhausted and within minutes he fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

(BBA)

Tala shook his head back and forth. He could not say that he was amazed because he was used to Bryan's technology skills, but still he could not believe that his idea had worked.

Once Bryan had started up the laptop, he had plugged Tala's phone into the jack. By accessing who knows what kind of files he was able to trace Kai's phone back to the location where he had sent Tala the message. They had tried tracing the signal to find his exact location, but Kai's phone was not getting any reception so they were only able to trace it to back where the phone was last working. After finding the coordinates and calculating the time lapse (along with a bit of guessing) they were able to make an estimate of about where their friend was.

"Think we should tell Dickinson?" asked Bryan. He was making a few last calculations, but had a small smirk on his face from his success.

"Do we have to?" complained Ian. He, like the rest of them, hated getting anyone involved.

"Yes," said Tala with finality. "Otherwise we would never be able to get there." He stood up along with his other teammates. They walked into Mr. Dickinson's office. Judy and Bruce had left about an hour ago, and now Mr. Dickinson was pondering what he could do to locate the Bladebreakers. When the Russian's entered, he was startled out of his thoughts.

Tala, always straight to the point, was the one to address the man. "We know where the Bladebreakers are."

* * *

(Biovolt)

Kai had no idea how long he had been asleep, but he was awoken when he heard some shouting. He cracked his sore back, straightened up, and once his eyes adjusted, he could make out a guard in front of his cell. The man was sliding something into the Bladebreaker's cell, and when he was done he slid something into Kai's. Once he walked away, Kai looked at what he had been given. A small piece of bread and half a glass of water.

"Alright food!" Tyson shouted from across the hall. Kai became suspicious and dragged his body to the cell door.

"Tyson, do not touch the food," commanded Kai. His voice was hoarse, but still held authority. Across the hall, Tyson dropped the piece of bread that was inches from his mouth. He had been surprised at the voice and his body had just immediately reacted to the demand.

"Kai!" All the Bladebreakers rushed over to the door. By now it was dark out again, so they could only see his shadow. They could however, make out two bright, crimson orbs.

"Do not eat the food," repeated Kai. He took his own slice of bread and started to inspect it. At first glance it looked fine, but he had been poisoned one too many times in the past to fall for eating it. He felt his hands over it and raised it to his nose. Faintly he smelled something out of place. It was not poison, but there was some type of chemical on it. He threw the bread to a corner in his cell.

"Throw me the bread that they gave you." His voice remained demanding. The others were startled by this odd request.

"Why? Didn't they give you any?" asked Tyson. He was very relieved that Kai was finally talking to them.

"We only have a piece each Kai," complained Michael "If we gave you some, we would barely have anything."

Kai rolled his eyes at their immaturity. Did they really think he was going to eat there bread and leave them to starve. He could not tell them about the poison though. He would only frighten them if his suspicions proved true.

"I am not going to take your bread. Toss it here, I need to check something." The edge to his voice kept the Bladebreakers from arguing again. They tossed over their bread one by one. They landed just outside the cell door, but Kai was able to reach them. He checked each one the way he had done his own. The first two and the last one were fine, but there was something different on the third one. Checking it more thoroughly, Kai became very upset at what he found. _This one has actual poison on it. Whoever ate it would be dead by morning._ Kai growled softly. Voltaire had gone back on his word not to harm his team. _If one of them had eaten this I wouldn't have been able to prove that he had poisoned them. _He threw the bread over to where he had thrown his earlier.

Giving them a heads up, Kai tossed back the three other pieces. The Bladebreakers had not seen what Kai had done and became very confused.

"Umm…Kai what exactly did you do that for?" asked Tyson already shoving his chunk in his mouth.

"Yeah and where is the last piece?" added Michael.

"It was poisoned," said Kai casually. The boys in the opposite cell froze and Tyson swallowed the chunk in his mouth with a gulp.

"Poisoned?"

Kai turned his head so that he was directly facing them.

"At the abbey they would occasionally put different chemicals into our food. I had you give me yours so I could check to see if they put anything in it. They did," explained Kai. _No point hiding it now. Maybe next time they'll be more cautious before they eat._

"You mean if we had eaten one of those pieces, then one of us would have bit the dust?" asked Tyson. All of them still had trouble comprehending how cruel Boris and Voltaire really were.

"Yeah."

"What about the other pieces--and the water they gave us?" This time it was Michael who spoke.

"They are fine. They would not poison the water because they do not want to dehydrate us. This was merely a test to see if we would eat the poison. You can live a while without food, but you _need_ water."His reply was so relaxed, that it scared them. They were hungry though, and divided the last two pieces amongst Max, Ray, and Michael. Tyson received a few glares because he had already eaten his. When they finished they were not satisfied, but they didn't complain. A thought suddenly occurred to Ray.

"Kai, did they poison your bread?" Kai shrugged already knowing what was coming. He swallowed his murky water and answered Ray.

"I'm used to going without food. You four need it more than I do." _Besides, it's my fault you are in this mess in the first place._

The others were silent for a while. How could they have been so selfish to have forgotten Kai?

"I'm…I'm sorry Kai," said Max. It was the first time he had spoken and his voice was cracking. The apology had surprised Kai. _What could he possibly be apologizing for?_

"What do you mean Max?" Kai had always thought of Max as the little brother of the group, the one who was always happy and positive. Hearing him like this only added to the guilt he was already feeling.

"We have been nothing but trouble to you. Boris he…he hurt you because of us. He even used a knife!" Max's voice was turning hysterical. "Kai, please tell me this is a dream-- that this isn't happening. We are so selfish Kai, but you have been selfish too!" Kai rarely flinched when being punished by Boris, but the words Max were saying made him cringe.

"Maxie-"

"Be quiet Tyson! We never knew anything! Why didn't you trust us Kai? We-we could have helped you!"

_I'm causing them so much pain even when I try to protect them. I was raised to be a monster, and I had hoped to grow out of it, but I guess some things you cannot change. _

"You did not have to keep this a secret! Even now you still are denying _everything_!"

_I have wanted so bad to tell all of you about this life I have, but it is a burden that you do not deserve to carry. I deny everything so you can stay innocent and naieve. _

"Max stop it," said Ray. He saw how Kai was shifting in the other cell. Not only that, but he had never seen the younger blader like this before. And quite frankly, it scared him.

"Do you like being hurt?" continued Max.

_I can't stand this pain! _

"Do you like being shouted abuse at?"

_Everyday I feel myself break at Boris's words! _

"Because that's the way it seems, Kai. Is this really how it's been since you were little in the abbey?"

_It burns a hole in me every-single day that all my suffering has been caused by my own grandfather! It's even worse then when I was younger because at least then I had hoped to gain his approval._

"Did you obey them like you do now?"

_All the time. It was drilled into your head never to disobey an order._

"You act like their slave!"

_I had tried so hard to please him. I would defy Boris constantly, but I would always obey Grandfather. I had become a pawn to aid his will. Now after all these years of emancipation, I have yet again, although unwillingly, become a slave. _

"Don't just sit there and ignore me like you always do Kai. Answer me NOW!"

_I wish I could._

Max's breathing was coming out in gasps at having yelled so much. After what seemed like forever Kai, let out a reply completely void of any emotion.

"Shut up Max."

Silence rang throughout the hallway.

_I'm sorry._

* * *

"Sir, with your permission, the experiment is ready to be set." Boris was bent over in a perfectly composed bow addressing the head of Biovolt.

"Are you sure that everything is checked. I do not want any mistakes," grounded out Voltaire.

"I assure you, everything will run smoothly." Boris kept a perfect grin on his face.

"Very well, you may proceed."

After receiving approval, Boris left the office to go alert the scientists, leaving Voltaire deep in thought.

Voltaire had appeared to be indifferent about this entire idea Boris had had. It was an ingenious experiment, and if everything went right then he would honestly end up quite pleased with the results. But, the ominous thought of something going wrong still lingered. If the experiment failed, then Kai would surely die. His prized work for the last twelve years would be finished due to one mistake. He hated the chance, but he always liked to gamble. Especially when it was someone else's life at risk.

* * *

Well…I guess that's it for now. Sorry to leave so many questions hanging, but most of them will be answered in the next chapter. Hopefully.

Thanks for reading!

-FlamingIce


	18. Understanding the Enigma

Hi everyone! I am still alive and I am so sorry it took so long for me to update. I have a million reasons why it took so long, but I won't bore you with those, and I'll just get on with the story.

Thanks to: Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, DancerInTheDark, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Lhune, TalaTati19, Nameless Little Girl, fawks136, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, susie25, Kineo, carmanness, XSilentX-XShadowX, Miako6, Kailover2008, silent-kei, or-chan, Yuliya, Rupunzelle, and Canyx for being so loyal and taking time to review. Special thanks to phoenix80 who went back and reviewed every chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or its characters. I only own my idea and plot. At least it's something.

_Italics _mean Kai's thoughts or a flashback.

( ) mean Russian

**Chapter 18: Understanding the Enigma -a Little**

The steel gray sky looked like a cloud of smoke from the plane window. Nothing was visible and it matched perfectly the mood of the plane's occupants. Judy, Bruce, Mr. Dickinson, and the Blitzkrieg Boys had been flying for only about an hour so far and already the tension was unbearable.

After Tala had told Mr. Dickinson about were they assumed the Bladebreakers to be located, the chairman immediately called up a flight to ready his private plane. He had then, to the Blitzkrieg Boys displeasure, called up Judy and Bruce to tell them about the news. That was how they ended up on the flight.

The whole ride would take around 8 hours. For everyone aboard though, it seemed like the journey would never end. For the first twenty minutes the Blitzkrieg Boys had sat stock still barely moving. As anxious as they were, they had been trained long enough to learn patience. Nearby, Bruce and Mr. Dickinson were trying to think of what to do once they arrived, and Judy was continuously fidgeting. After thirty minutes of tapping and nail biting, Ian finally had it.

"Do you mind? It you don't quit it you're going to chew off your blasted finger!" shouted Ian to Judy who had shock written over her face. His outburst had stopped Mr. Dickinson and Bruce's conversation.

"Ian," hissed Bryan. "Calm down!"

"How am I supposed to be calm if _she_ is over here tapping a hole through the arm rest? It's driving me insane!" Bryan rolled his eyes. Ian always had a thing with being over dramatic.

"Ian-" he was cut off by a small sound. Looking over he saw Judy with small tears dripping down her face. Great!

"I'm…I'm sorry. It's just I'm so worried," said Judy trying to control her voice. Ian gave her a strange look. What kind of person cries out in public like that? Nothing has even happened yet. He turned away unsure of what to do.

Bruce glared daggers at all four bladers.

"You could have some kind of sympathy you know. She's having a tough time, and you can't even give her a break. All of you Russians are the same. Stuck up brats!" said Bruce. Now it was Tala's turn to get involved.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean," said Tala. His voice remained indifferent and sounded very casual.

"You are just like Kai. None of you have any respect." Bruce had had it dealing with these types of kids.

"Respect? And when have you showed us that you deserve our respect. Kai was right, you are full of yourself." Tala's eyes stayed closed and his face was completely relaxed.

Bruce was seething and was just about to probably do something he would regret before Mr. Dickinson stepped in.

"Tala, all of us have to work together if we are going to help the Bladebreakers. I would appreciate a little cooperation." Tala was impressed by how calm the man was.

"Whatever. But if anyone insults my team I retaliate. You have our cooperation, but you'll need some from their side too." He gestured over to Judy and Bruce.

Bruce was shaking, but instead of saying something, he got up and went to find the stewardess to get something to drink. How did his son actually tolerate these people?

* * *

"How can we tolerate this!" whispered Tyson frantically to the others. "He's just sitting there like nothing happened. We have to do something!"  
After Max's outburst no one had said a word of even moved for about two hours. You could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet.

Kai sat alone and still in the other cell. His beliefs had been confirmed by the questions Max asked him. Somehow the Bladebreakers had figured out what goes on here. They would not understand most of it, but they know what is happening and what Boris is doing to him. Everything he had worked so hard to hide had finally revealed itself. How could his team even bare to look at him anymore.

Tyson had been the first to break the silence, and it seemed to bring all the bladers out of a trance.

"What do you want us to do, Tyson? Apparently he doesn't want our help and it's not like we could do anything anyway," said Michael.

Ray was too caught up in his thoughts to mention to Michael and Tyson that Kai was probably able to hear every word they said. He had been pondering the questions Max had so _calmly_ questioned Kai about. Note the sarcasm. Although Max had been a little irrational, he had asked Kai the exact questions all of them had been wondering about.

How long has this torture been going on? Kai acted as if this was all routine. He knew how to act where, what to say when; it seemed so normal to him that it was almost scary. Now Ray knew that Kai had been lying when he said that the scars on his back were from Brooklyn. They had been caused in a place so similar to this one. How many times had Kai lied to keep him and the others from finding out about his past? A visual image of the Russian tournament flashed through Ray's mind. It was right after Kai had beaten both the White Tigers and the All Starz. Ray had followed Kai back to the locker room to demand answers.

_(Flashback Ray's POV)_

_How dare he! How dare that traitor treat the White Tigers like that! After all this time he still never became apart of our team. He must have been planning this from the beginning._

_Storming into the downstairs locker room, I scan each aisle looking for my dearest captain. I'm brought off my rampage when I hear yelling coming from the back. I move slightly closer and realize someone's shouting in a different language. The person pauses and I quickly move behind one of the lockers so I won't be seen. Squinting through one of the grates I make out the form of the Russian team coach. Balcov or something. He snaps something to whoever else was there and exits. _

"_CRASH!" Something hits one of the lockers and I jump. I decide to leave my spot and go see what happened. Low and behold I find the person I was originally looking for. _

"_Kai," I say sternly to get his attention. He's emptying out his locker and still ignores me. _

"_Don't' you dare pretend I'm not here! What the heck was that all about!" I move in front of him so he has to acknowledge me. _

"_Go away Ray." He still doesn't look up from what he's doing. _

"_What, so you just up and switch teams without telling anyone? We were worried sick that you had been hurt, and the whole time you were just abandoning us. Why do it Kai? What does this Russian team have that we don't?" _

_Finally he looked up and his eyes startled me. They held so many different emotions at one time, completely opposite his normal stoic eyes. There was anger, anxiousness, exhaustion, and…fear? Just as quickly as I saw the phenomenon though, it was gone and his mask was back up. _

"_You're smarter than I would like Ray. You figure it out." That was the only thing Kai said before he brushed right past me out the door. For some reason I didn't even bother following. When I looked at the locker though, it was dented in the shape of a beyblade. That was what made the crash. Looking over my shoulder to ask Kai about it, I saw he was already gone._

_(End Flashback and Ray's POV)_

Ray never was able to figure out what Kai had meant by what he said, but now he thought he finally knew the meaning. Kai had always been dropping hints to him about what his life was like. He wanted someone to know, someone who could maybe help. Did he really think that Kai would just go up to them and tell them his life story. No, that was not the way Kai was. Ray could not help but feel guilty that he should have paid more attention to the signs.

_I don't see much of my parents anymore._

_My grandfather isn't exactly what you would call caring._

_You guys don't know what hard training is. _

None of them had ever taken the time to actually listen to Kai. To try to find the hidden meaning behind his words. The worst part about it was that whenever anyone ever had a problem, he would always be there to listen. Sure, Tyson and Max always made you feel better, but Kai was unbiased. He listened to what you said and didn't judge you. Most of the time he would even give you good advice.

_(Flashback)_

"_Hey Kai, Do you have a minute?" asked Ray lying on his back on top of the bed. Him and Kai were sharing a room in the hotel right in the center of Hong Kong. It was during the first Asian Tournament._

"_Hn." Kai was turned on his side looking over Dranzer._

"_It's about Lee. He's so mad at me for betraying him. I mean, I didn't want to hurt him or any of the White Tigers, but I needed to get out of that village. And now Mariah can't even look me in the eye. We were such great friends before and now…Do you…do you think I made the right choice?"_

"_No, you made the worst decision you could ever possibly make. Get out of my sight, you disgust me." Kai's voice was perfectly even and emotionless and if Ray didn't know his captain better then he would have thought he was actually serious. Despite how bad he was feeling, he burst out laughing and could picture the smirk on Kai's face._

"_I…I'm serious Kai," said Ray becoming sober after a while._

"_Ray, how do you think of Tyson and Max?" asked Kai. _

_Ray contemplated this for awhile._

"_They're great. A little hyperactive, but two of the best guys I'll probably ever meet. Why?" said Ray with a puzzled look._

" _What do you think about the Bladebreakers as a beyblading team?" Kai ignored Ray's question and asked another of his own._

"_Well, I haven't met another team as strong as us, and we each have our own strengths and work really well together."_

"_So you are content on with being on the Bladebreakers?" Ray was absolutely confused._

"_Yeah, definitely!"_

"_You just answered your own question." Kai pulled the light switch and the room turned dark. The two teammates were quiet the rest of the night._

_(End Flashback)_

Kai had a unique way of doing things that was for sure. Ray glanced outside the cell and squinted trying to make out Kai's form. He stood on his feet, ignoring the looks he got from the others and went to the door. He called out to Kai speaking in his native tongue.

"Kai, I need advice." He remembered from awhile back that Kai was able to speak Mandarin.

There was no reply from the other cell, but still Ray continued.

"You see, I have this friend who does not know how highly I think of him. I have told him he is my friend and that nothing will ever change that, but I do not think he believes me." Ray saw the form of Kai shift in the other cell. Meanwhile he was receiving strange looks from the others in his cell.

"I think that he wants to trust and believe me, but he will not allow himself to. I haven't done much on my side either though. He kept trying to hint to me what he wanted, but I was too occupied to notice. I want to show him my motives are genuine, and that I really do want to help. You are always the best person for advice, Kai, so what should I do?" There was silence for a few minutes, but Ray waited patiently. Finally, he saw Kai move to the edge of his cell. He was still shadowed, but he was recognizable.

"You have gotten smarter since we arrived here, Ray. I have still yet to decide whether or not that is a good thing." Kai's voice was hoarse and strained, but he still continued in smooth speech.

"You should not blame yourself for your _friend's_ inability to trust. Even when your motives are clear, it will still take time for him to get used to being accepted." Ray nodded with a small smile.

Kai started to slump forward a little, but pushed himself back up with his hand on the wall. He silently cursed. His body was still exhausted from before. Ray, thinking this meant Kai was done went to turn back to the others, but before he did, he heard Kai call something to him. Looking up, he saw Kai's eyes burning with determination.

"Ray, your _friend_ I bet is extremely grateful for someone such as yourself to be there for him, however, do not tie yourself to someone until you know exactly how wicked of a person they are. Then make your decision." Ray's smile grew bigger.

"That's the best part Kai, I know exactly what type of person they are and you know what-," Ray was cut off by the slamming of a door at the end of the hall. Everyone turned to look and a horror washed over every one of them. Big black boots were making a bee-line towards them.

"Good morning everyone! I trust you all had a comfortable night of sleep." Boris's voice made all the Bladebreakers want to puke.

"I said good morning! Or did you boys forget your manners?" Boris's eyes flashed and he bent close to their cell. His gaze felt like it penetrated through each one of them, and a chill went up their spines.

"You're appalling Boris. I'd sew my mouth closed before I answer to you!" Ray looked on in admiration of Kai's never-quitting defiance. No matter how stupid it may be.

Boris hissed.

"Well aren't we in a pleasant mood today young Kai. I was giving you a few minutes to enjoy yourself, but I guess you are just to anxious for your punishment." He drove the key into Kai's cell, threw the door open, and dragged Kai out.

"I suggest you four all say goodbye to your dearest captain because you may not be seeing him again. At least not like this." The last part was whispered, but Ray was able to hear it and fear pulsed through him.

It was the first time the Bladebreakers had seen Kai clearly since last night, and they were horrified by what they saw. Smeared blood lined the edge of his jaw bone, his fingers on his left hand looked mangled, his pants were torn and stained with blood, and his shirt was completely gone from where Boris had torn it off. They were not able to get a clear view of Kai's back, but they were half thankful because they did not know if they could handle seeing the state it would be in. His chest was in clear view though. It was the first time (not counting last night) the Bladebreakers had seen their captain's actual body, for he had always kept it covered. As odd as it may sound, they were amazed.

Kai's chest was perfectly shaped. Each muscle showed the team just how much time and effort their captain put into training. Still, the thing that caught their attention most though was the intricate design of scars perfectly placed that were scattered all over Kai's torso.

"Each of you, do not do anything stupid. You will be fine if you stay out of harms way. Ray, you are in charge. Keep an eye on them," Kai said, not looking at his team, but keeping a steady eye on Boris.

Boris sneered at Kai and jabbed him in the back.

"Walk. Now," he demanded.

Kai turned his eyes to his team. None of them could understand the look he gave them, but it was something they had never seen in their captain's eyes before. It was only for a half a second though, because he turned his head up, help it with dignity that his team was proud of, and walked defiantly as Boris pushed him down the hall.

When he turned his back to them, Ray, Max, and Tyson could clearly see their names engraved on Kai's back surrounded by caked blood. Tyson went to say something, but Ray grabbed him before he could.

"You just heard Kai. Do not do anything stupid," whispered Ray. Tyson thought twice, and then looked away because he could not bear the site.

"You will remember our deal, correct?" asked Kai once he and Boris were out of earshot.

"Still worrying about those worthless teammates of yours? Pathetic. That is exactly why you are going to be getting a _special_ treat today," said Boris.

Kai Hiwatari was now officially on the march of death.

* * *

Well, I am sorry I have to end there, but if I wait any longer to update then I am risking a riot to start. I know it is short for as long as you have waited, but please bear with me. Again, I am one-thousand times sorry it took so long to update, but now summer is officially here and I should be able to update a lot sooner. Thanks for reading!

-FlamingIce


	19. UnitedDivided

Greetings and Happy Summer! At least for me. I know that for some of you school is just now starting. Sorry about that, but here's another chapter to cheer you up!

Thanks to: Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, ari dark princess, Kai's-lil-lover, phoenix-falling, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Lhune, TalaTati19, Nameless Little Girl, yonokom, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, lilmissdutchess, Kineo, carmanness, phoenix80, Miako6, kavbj, Naenna, or-chan, Annika Preminyer, and Canyx!

Honestly, this story would not happen without you.

"…" talking

(…) Russian

_Italics _Kai's thoughts and past memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, the characters, the TV show, or a yacht. Anything else they want to rub my face in?

**Chapter 19: United/Divided**

("Idiots! We are working with a bunch of idiots!") Shouted/whispered Ian. The Blitzkrieg Boys had taken refuge in the back of the airplane and were trying to devise a plan on how to rescue Kai.

They had originally figured that everyone would get off the plane, find a hotel, and stay the night before they went to the authorities to turn Voltaire and Boris in. Meanwhile while Mr. Dickinson, Judy, and Bruce were doing that, the Blitzkrieg Boys would go out and get Kai on their own. They stood about a ninety-nine percent better chance of saving their friend that way, rather than alerting the authorities who were probably working for Voltaire. But, noooooo! As it would turn out, Mr. Dickinson had the bright idea to fly straight to Voltaire's hideout and confront the man himself. Apparently, he still did not think Voltaire was that dangerous. Oh how wrong he was!

("Just relax, Ian,") said Bryan. ("It's not their faults that they are ignorant to the things Boris and Voltaire do.")

("What can we use as an excuse so that we stop for the night? That way we can slip away. We only really needed them to get across sea,") mused Spencer out loud.

("What are you thinking Tal?") Asked Bryan. The said red-head had his gaze turned out the window, and his crystal eyes were distant in thought.

("Tala!") Bryan tapped him. Tala blinked for a minute and turned back to the group.

("Have you even been listening?") Questioned Spencer, his eyebrows raised.

Tala twirled a lock of red hair with his fingers.

("We do not really have a problem, just a change of plans,") said Tala as if it was obvious.

("Do you care explaining?") Bryan raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Tala sighed.

("If I know Boris, no matter how hard Kai is trying, the Bladebreakers are still going to find out about the abbey's ways. If we get them out, they are just going to go home and blab it to these guys anyway. So either way our secret is blown. Besides, Voltaire isn't stupid. He knows that the world would notice if the World Championship Beyblading team _and_ the chairman of Beyblading himself go missing. Before, he had Dickinson covering for him so that word wouldn't get out, but if Dickinson is gone himself then there is no stopping the media from finding out. And considering its history, Biovolt would be the first place everyone would turn to. Bruce and Judy may be deadweight coming with us, but it really doesn't hinder us too much. We'll just have to keep a watch on three other people." Tala leaned back in his chair, allowing the others to take in what he just said.

("I see your reasoning. However, watching out for three others is much easier said than done,") said Spencer.

("Think of it this way. Kai has had to look out for four others, and he's all by himself. We should be able to manage,") reasoned Tala.

The other three thought about this for a minute and then nodded their heads in understanding. The plan was set, and they were getting closer with each second.

**

* * *

**

(Biovolt)

The labs. The most terrifying section of the abbey. A place where almost everyone who goes in, never comes out. Kai was one exception of that. He had been dragged to the labs of Biovolt many times in his life. Whether to "improve" him, to punish him, or to be the scientists' lab rat, he was, unfortunately, very familiar with the cold, blank, white walls that some call a place for scientific study.

He had walked willingly with Boris up until Kai had seen the hallway leading to the labs. When he saw the doorway, however, something in him clicked and his body became immediately resistant. Normally he would not give Boris the pleasure of seeing him try to run, but he wasn't in control: his instincts were.

He flailed, kicked, punched, jumped, however, Boris was prepared and had men ready. Not only that, but Kai was not in what some would call a healthy condition. Eventually he was held down and was able to be dragged the rest of the way. The thing that got Kai nervous was the fact that Boris had not used the silver band to prevent him from running. That meant he had something planned.

When they finally reached the inside of a small, square room, Boris didn't waste one second. He started barking orders to about four "scientists" and was moving around almost running.

Kai was trying to keep track of everything being said, but his head was still throbbing from his encounter with the guards, and the lack of sleep he had had was not helping either. He had bee able to figure out that the scientists were late with something, and that was why Boris was trying to rush them.

_Fine by me, take your time._

Just as Kai thought this though, he was smacked in the side of the head and momentarily was out of it. It only took a moment however for the men to strap him down to a long, metal table. He soon started to see straight again, and the first sight he saw was Boris hovering over him.

"Well Kai, what do you think?" asked Boris. Kai, with no emotion in his voice answered honestly.

"I was thinking about how tempting it must be for you to commit suicide each morning after you take a look at yourself in the mirror."

For a moment Kai thought Boris's eyes were going to bug out of his head, but oddly, he controlled his anger.

"You will soon pay for your disobedience," hissed Boris. He walked away and was out of Kai's eyesight.

Kai lied still gazing at the ceiling. The cold from the metal burned his back, and the straps holding him down only added to the pressure of the band on his wrist. He didn't try to break free though. He had tried already many times in the past. He knew that the bands were unbreakable. Even if he did get free he would have no where to run. Ordinarily he would be able to go alone and may stand a chance at getting away, but now he had the Bladebreakers he had to worry about too.

_If I do something stupid, I won't be the only one to get punished. No wonder I prefer being on my own. _

He thought for a minute._ That's a lie, but it is something I _have_ to do._

Flashes of his friend's faces popped into his head. Tyson's booming laugh, Max's lop-sided grin, and Ray's thoughtful expression. Kai hated admitting it, but he had become used to being around them and their presences had become comforting. They had grown on him, and that would be his downfall. The scars forming on his back were proof of that.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard beeping and the roar of a machine starting up.

"Everything is ready, Master Boris," said one of the scientists.

"It is about time," huffed Boris obviously irritated.

Kai's peripheral vision was blocked off due to his position, but he could make out a bunch of shuffling. His stomach took a leap because he realized whatever they would be doing to him would be starting very soon.

Then, for the second time, Boris was hovering over him. _And people wonder why I have personal space issues._

"What's your plan Boris? What kind of sick, twisted experiment have you come up with now," snarled Kai. He kept his face emotionless to show that he was not intimidated.

"Do not worry. You will find out very soon." Boris beckoned someone with his hand, and Kai saw one of the scientists fast approaching. It was what she was holding that caught his attention. A syringe full of a clear liquid. A low growl escaped his throat and he started thrashing trying to break free. He hated needles. He hated them as much as he hated Boris and Voltaire. He had been pricked and injected with so many things in the past and all they ever did was cause him pain. He had to get away.

"Now Kai, if you keep flailing like that you may hurt yourself. We would not want that to happen now would we?" Boris's voice was over-flowing with pleasure. As hard as Kai kicked and pushed against the bands strapping him down, he could not break them, and the sting of a needle soon pierced his skin. He bit his lip hard, trying not to grimace. Then, a sensation started to creep over his body. Oddly enough though, it was not pain but a feeling of numbness. All his tense muscles relaxed and his whole body was paralyzed.

_Why would they give me something to keep me from moving? I'm already tied down._

"Hmmm, all the pleasures I could indulge myself in right now," thought Boris out loud.

_You psycho. _Kai's eyes widened. Not only could he not move his body, but he could not talk either. He tried saying something - anything, but not a single sound came out.

"Release the fastenings," ordered Boris. Kai could make out from the corner of his eye the movement of the bands being opened up. It worried him that he could not feel them scratching his skin. If Boris was going to make him pay, then he was going to feel some type of pain somehow. Then, his view changed and he realized he was being lifted up. Boris was gone from sight, and he got a better view of the rest of the lab.

Tables were set up along the walls, and the room turned out to be more spacious then he had first thought. There was only a total of five scientists in the room including the ones dragging him. And soon he found out unfortunately where they were dragging him.

_No._

A clear, about seven foot tall, glass tube was directly in front of him, and with each passing second he was being pulled closer. He had seen this machine many times. It was one of Boris's favorites. He had used it to punish him several times, it had been used to turn his best friend into part cyborg, and now he would fall victim to it once again.

He saw the door to it being opened, he heard the command to have the scientists throw him in, but his body felt no impact when he crashed to the floor, his legs unable to hold him up. Luckily, the position he landed in gave him a view of the whole room. His head was tilted back against the glass, and his legs and arms were in a heap next to his side. The whole tube was only about three feet in diameter so, even if he was able to, Kai wouldn't have had anywhere to move.

One of the scientists shut the door, and the voices became muffled. Then, something clicked and Kai could hear Boris's voice blasting through a microphone into his ear.

"Are you ready Kai? Because, let me tell you. I sure am."

Kai's glance turned toward the door of the lab. A miniscule sliver of a hope passed through him.

_What am I hoping for? That some rescue team will come running through the door to save me before this whole thing starts. Hah! Maybe in the movies, but in reality the only thing you can rely on to get you out of situations like this is yourself. I must be spending too much time with the Bladebreakers. _Still, a small spark of hope still remained within the teen. **(AN: Perfect set up for the Blitzkrieg Boys to enter huh? Sorry to disappoint you guys.)**

A hissing sound was heard, and a soft black smoke started leaking through the top of the tube. Kai's body may have been paralyzed, but his senses were on full alert.

"Stage one," said Boris. Some lights started to flash and the hissing was slowly getting louder.

The smoke surrounded Kai, sticking to his skin. It was odd. He was numb, but he could feel the smoke covering him, almost like it was seeping through his skin. _What the heck is going on?!_

The smoke grew thicker and Kai felt himself chocking for air. However, because he could not move, he was having trouble gasping. It was like a thick blanket was slowly enclosing him. He could not stand the tightness. His chest felt so constricted, and his ears kept popping. Then, faintly Kai could hear a voice cut through the isolation.

"Proceed to stage two." Half of him would have rather had stayed in silence instead of had heard Boris's voice.

Suddenly, as if a time bomb had went off, his body was thrown into a wave of pain. He could not explain it, but it felt as if his insides were being burned from the inside out. The smoke had taken a firm grip within him, and now it was spreading the pain throughout the inside of him. He wanted so badly to try anything to soothe his throbbing body, but still his body would not respond. He was on fire! His skin burned so badly and he had to do something. It was like an incessant itch that needed to be scratched. Except in this case it needed to be clawed.

"How are you doing young Kai?" For just a minute, the pain seemed to cease. All the black smoke disappeared, and Kai was left with just a tingling feeling creeping through his body. His breath was loud in his ears.

"Hmm. You know what? I think it would be a lot more fun to hear you scream." Kai could faintly hear a hissing coming from the top of the tube, signaling the entering of another chemical. Then, slowly he started to feel his arms. Then his feet. Within the minute, he could move properly again. He did not know whether to be relieved or worried. Standing up, he examined his arms over, seeing what exactly just happened. Nothing appeared to be different, but he could still feel the prickle beneath his skin.

"Start stage three." Kai did not have time to even realize Boris had something before a ripple of electricity shot through the container. It was just the same as the band around his arm, but it was stronger. Almost as if the electricity was staying in him and building rather than going away. He crashed to his knees, holding his arms close to his chest. _What the heck is Boris doing? How much more of this can he possibly put me through!_

"Commence stage four." Boris's voice was taunting Kai now. Mocking at how powerless he was.

The electricity stayed striking him, but now a pulsing started to go through Kai. With each pulse, time seemed to run slower. The pain remained the same, but now a wave of nausea hit Kai. He felt his body being drained and he slumped over. His teeth were gritted in pain, and he refused to let his eyes close. _When will this stop?_

He felt his breathing become shallower and he could not help but groan as another wave of electricity shot through him.

'Do you not understand young one? This will never end,' whispered an entrancing voice. Kai gasped. _It can't be. _

'Oh, but it can. I am so happy to see you still remember me.' _You were destroyed! _Kai was scanning through his head trying to find some sort of explanation.

'I was not destroyed, just merely cast aside. Something that you will pay greatly for!' The creature's voice suddenly became angry and Kai's pain increased ten-fold. Crying out, he gripped his head in agony.

Outside the tube, Boris had a very pleased smirk on his face. Finally, Kai Hiwatari had weakened. Now it was only a matter of time before he fell.

"Master Boris, Kai's vitals are dangerously low. His heart rate is out of control, and his breathing has become alarmingly slow. Should we stop the experiment?" asked one of the scientists. Boris's smirk only got bigger.

"No you idiot. We have come this far and the experiment is almost complete. The boy will hang on. And if he doesn't, well then he is not worth keeping alive."

**(Back with Kai)**

Slowly the pain started to ease, and Kai tried composing himself.

'You should be thankful that is all that I gave you as a punishment. You have been nothing but ungrateful. However, that is all behind us now. If we are to coexist, then we should try to make an effort to get along shouldn't we?' _What is going on? How do I hear you?_

'All will be explained shortly. But before that happens, the full process must be completed.' _What are you talking about? _No one answered. _What the- _

Kai felt something pound inside him. 'Now relax my child. I just want to see what makes you tick.' Kai's eyes grew wide, and then images started flashing through his mind.

"_Hey Kai, where have you been?" Kai was sopping wet walking through the dojo door._

"_Don't bother with him, Ray. The old sourpuss will just ignore you anyway," said Tyson. Kai walked to his bedroom grimacing at the comment. _

* * *

"_Hey Kai, want to play a game with us?" asked Max. _

"_Hn." Max gave a let down smile and then started dealing cards out to Ray and Tyson._

"_That was a 'yes' hn, Max. I have nothing else better to do," said Kai, sitting down on the floor next to Max. The others secretly smiled._

* * *

"_Listen here Kai. I will not tolerate any kind of disrespect from you. I don't know how exactly you were raised to behave, but while you're living in this house, you'll follow the same rules as everyone else. And although it seems you were never disciplined, in here if you disobey me you will have to face consequences," said an angry Bruce. _

* * *

"_You little, clumsy fool! Look at what you did!" shouted Voltaire. Spilled coffee covered his beautiful, mahogany, dinner table. He slapped a ten-year old Kai hard across the face. _

"_See if you see daylight for another week after that!" _

* * *

"_You will be perfect, Kai. Anything imperfect is not acceptable, and you will be punished for it," barked Boris. He grabbed an eight-year old Kai by the front of his shirt and threw him into the wall behind him. _

"_I suggest tomorrow you come to practice with an absolute flawless launch." He stalked away into the darkness._

* * *

"Get out of my head!" yelled Kai. He was writhing around trying to block out the memories.

"_Kai dear, it is time for bed," called a young woman with long, raven hair. _

"_But Mama, I'm not sweepy," pouted four-year old Kai. Then against his will, he let out a yawn._

"_Come on. How about I lay with you for awhile?" The woman lifted up the small boy, laid him down, and sat down beside him. She started to ruffle his hair._

"_Look at this. You have a mop just like your Papa," laughed the woman. The boy smiled in delight. _

"_Good night, Kai." _

"_Goodnight, Mama." _

* * *

"_How's my boy today!" A man with slate blue hair exclaimed, picking up a five-year old Kai and twirling him around in circles._

"_Alex stop! You are going to make him sick," scolded Kai's mother coming over and giving her husband a kiss._

"_But Mama, Papa was jus playin. Guess what Papa! Mama took me to the store today and I found a Beyblade jus like yours. Will you teach me how to do it? Pweas!" Begged Kai. His father gave his wife a weary look. _

"_I don't know, Kai. How about I teach you another game like… football," tried his father._

"_Pwleeeeeassssseeeee, Papa! I wrilly want to learn."_

"_Very well, Kai. I guess I can show you. But not until after dinner okay?"_

"_Alllright!"_

* * *

"Please, stop this!" Shouted Kai. "I don't want to see anymore!" He was screaming now. He could not handle this anymore.

'Do not worry, my child. I am almost through." The voice no longer soothed him, but instead it added to his pain.

"_You will not take my son! Go away and leave my family alone!" shouted a slate-haired man in his early thirties. Behind him, his wife stood tall shielding her son from the men in front of them. _

"_Be reasonable, Alexander. _**(1)**_ Hand over the boy and I will leave you and your whore alone," said a younger Voltaire. _

"_Get out of my home now," Alexander said through gritted teeth. Voltaire took a few steps closer so that now the two were practically touching noses._

"_I had such high hopes for you, my son. I gave you everything and still you were ungrateful and left." A flicker of sadness flashed within Voltaire's eyes; however it was soon replaced by hate and anger. "It does not matter though. I have no use for you anymore. Just that brat standing behind you. I will give you one last chance. Hand him over." _

_Alexander's hands were pulled tightly into a fist. "Kira, get you and Kai out of here."_

"_But Alex-"_

"_Now!" _

_Kira gave her father-in-law a quick glance and hurried Kai into the next room._

"_Mama, what's goin on? Why are Papa and grandfwader fighting?" Kira held her child close to her. Then, she took a step back and looked him directly in the eyes. _

"_Kai. My dear, sweet Kai. Know that your father and I love you very much. More than this world. Always stay hopeful and-" _

_A crash sounded from the other room and shouting was heard._

"_You have Dranzer right?" Kai nodded._

"_Good. Keep her with you always and she will guide and protect you."_

"_But Mama, why are you cryin? Please don't cry or you'll make me cry, Mama. What's going on? Who were those other men?" Kira looked sadly at her son. As he spoke she could feel the tears falling from her eyes. _

"_Everything will be fine, Kai. Just please, stay the same as you are. You will be fine as long as you don't give up hope." She grabbed her son and hugged him one last time._

"_I love you, my phoenix," she said._

"_Love you too, Mama," said Kai although his voice was muffled because he was pressed against her shirt. He did not know what was happening, but he was very frightened._

_The two parted, and Kira placed her son on the bed. _

"_Now stay here. If you hear someone coming, run and hide alright?" She started walking towards the door._

"_Pweas don't leave me here, Mama," begged Kai. Kira turned around one last time. _

"_I will always be with you, Kai." With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her._

"No! Please stop it. I'll do anything just stop this!" This was the most vivid Kai had ever remembered this day. He new what was coming and he did not know if could take it. Still it kept playing in front of his open eyes, as if it was happening right before him.

_Little Kai sat huddled on the bed, covering his ears with his hands. So much noise was coming from the other room. Crashing, yelling, and screaming. Then, all of a sudden it grew quiet. He took his hands off of his ears to see if it was over. He jumped off the bed and went over to the door. Opening it slightly, he listened. Had the men gone away? Curious, he stepped out and peeked his head around the corner of the hallway. No, they had not gone away. They were circled around his parents who both stood with their heads held high._

The memory stopped for a minute, cutting off. Something was wrong. Like a gap in a film, there was nothing but darkness. Then, the film started back up again.

"_Bang! Bang!"_

_Blood. Everywhere he looked there was red. Little Kai ran over to the two forms of his parents who had fallen. He had to help them. Didn't anyone else see they had been hurt! Oddly enough, the men let him pass. He fell to his knees right beside his mother. _

"_Mama? Papa?" First it was so soft that he could barely hear himself. Then, his voice started to rise._

"_Mama! Papa! Pwease wake up!" He tried shaking them, but he got no response. He saw his Mama. Her beautiful, long, black hair askew around her face. Some of it was wet from the blood. Kai took the locks in his little hands and started to fix it around her face and smooth it out. _

"_Do…Don't worry Mama, I know how you hate it when your hair get…gets in knots, so I'll …I'll help you smooth it out," whimpered the small boy. _

_He tried everything. Anything to try and make his parents feel better. He fixed his Papa's jacket so that it wasn't ruffled, he took off his Mama's shoes because he knew she wasn't comfortable with them on, and persistently kept trying to wipe up the ever-flowing red liquid. _

"_Do…Don't worry Mama, I'll clean it up," he sobbed. His entire shirt and pants were stained crimson and his hands looked permanently painted red. _

"_That is enough Kai!" bellowed a voice, breaking Kai out of his trance. He turned around and saw his grandfather._

"_Gr…Gr…grandfwather, pw…pwease help. Mama and Papa won't wake up," wept Kai. _

"_That is because they are dead. And you know what? It is all your fault! Now get up and wipe yourself down. We are going," ordered Voltaire._

"_No!" Kai shouted and he fell, gripping as tightly as he could onto his parents. He did not care if the blood was covering him. He held tight to his parents, burying his head into his mother's shirt just as he had a few moments before._

"_You said everything would be okay. You lied Mama!" his voice broke into a whisper, "Why did you lie?" Suddenly, he felt himself yanked off the ground, and he was soon looking right into two, hard, gray eyes. _

"_You will never disobey me again. And if I ever see you cry like this, you will end up the same as them," snarled Voltaire, pointing to Kai's parents. "I will not have a grandson who is weak!" He stood Kai on his own two feet and then slapped him right across the face sending him hurling through the air. Then, everything went dark, and the nightmare began._

'You see young one, it is all over now," cooed the voice. However, to Kai it was not over. It kept replaying over and over in his mind. Red. That color clouded his vision. He could still feel it sticky on his hands.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me! I…I never did anything to you!" he shouted. His whole body was shaking and his cheeks were moist. It had been so long since he last cried that it took him a moment to realize what was happening._ Dranzer. Please Dranzer. I need you so much. _A feeling of hate flashed through him, and he felt his arms starting to burn.

'How dare you mention her! I am the only one you need now. She is gone and will never return so just forget her!'

"Arrrgghhh!" He couldn't help but shout. Why couldn't his body just let him die. He couldn't take anymore! Another wave of pain shot through him, and finally he collapsed into oblivion. Nothing but darkness to keep him protected.

"Get me Voltaire's office," ordered Boris, a full grown smile accommodating his face, showing off yellowish teeth.

"Yes, Boris?" questioned Voltaire on the other line of the phone.

"My Lord, I think you should come down here. I am sure you will be very satisfied at what you see," said Boris.

"Is the experiment complete? Did he survive?"

"Oh yes, he survived, in fact, he's better then what we expected." It was silent for a minute on the other line.

"What do you mean, Boris?"

"Just come down and see," he laughed.

After a moment, Voltaire said, "I will be right down."

* * *

**(Tala and the others)**

"We will be landing within the next five minutes," said Mr. Dickinson, just arriving back from the cockpit.

After they had decided what their plan was, the Blitzkrieg Boys had remained silent, deep within their own thoughts. When they heard Mr. Dickinson though, they went on full alert. Almost on instinct.

"It's about time. Now let's just hope we aren't too late," said Tala, speaking what was on everyone's mind.

* * *

**(Bladebreakers)**

"It has been hours, Ray. What do you think they are doing to him?" asked Michael. Him and the others had become extremely restless. None of them knew what was going to happen. Before, they had Kai at least to refer back to. Now, they were alone and very worried about their friend.

Ray glanced around at his team. Their faces were weary, their eyes had bags under them, and none of them held that never-give-up smile.

To think, thought Ray, this is what Kai grew up in. He suddenly became determined. Kai had put him in charge, and it was up to him to make sure the team was okay. A very difficult challenge considering the circumstances, but he was up to it.

He stood up and stretched.

"Come on, guys. Kai is strong, and I am sure he is fine. He wouldn't want us worrying over him anyways. How about we play a game?" Ray's suggestion seemed to brighten everyone up a little, and soon they were attempting a game of eye-spy. **(AN/ Try playing that in a cell with only the colors black and gray around!) **

Despite how he was trying to be cheery on the outside, Ray had a horrible gut feeling on the inside. Come on, Kai. Please don't give in to them.

* * *

**(Back with Boris and Voltaire)**

Voltaire gazed into the tube which held his grandson prisoner. He was ashamed at how weak and pathetic Kai looked, however he was very pleased because now it would be a lot simpler for Kai to obey him.

"Hmm. Very good work, Boris. To bad you didn't think of this years ago." Boris paled slightly at the hidden, critical remark, but he was in too good of spirits to be brought down now.

He turned his head and looked back at Kai. It had taken him almost ten years, but he had finally broken the Great Kai Hiwatari! Of course, he had some help from Black Dranzer.

* * *

WOW! I can not believe I just wrote all of that. This is my longest chapter yet, so I hope you all enjoy.

**(1)** I know that that is not Kai's father's real name, but in my story it is. Also, I'm not sure what his mother's name is, so I made one up.

I know a few of you thought that that was Dranzer at first, huh? Sorry to disappoint you, but I still wasn't done torturing Kai.

Until next time!

-FlamingIce94


	20. Under the Influence

Hello! Thank you to : Kai's-Suzaku, d1bontemp, vlissan, ari dark princess, Kai's-lil-lover, equilibrium?, KonohaSinX Flame, twin1, Ma.anda, Blazingfire03, TalaTati19, bleu-blizzard, Naenna, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, fawks136, Kineo, Kayland Elric, phoenix80, Miako6, or-chan, Annika Preminyer, StarShinobi, Asmara, Yuliya, and Canyx for reviewing and fueling my motivation to keep writing. That's almost twenty-five reviews! You guys are so awesome!

I apologize for the delay, but I just got back from vacation about three days ago and due to all the packing I had to do before I left, I was not able to get this chapter up before hand. But I am back now, and along with a new chapter!

_Italics _Kai's thoughts

(…) Russian

_**Italics**_ Black Dranzer's thoughts

**Chapter 20: Under the Influence**

A soft, melodious tune echoed in his ears. It was familiar, yet he did not know where from. For a moment, he was floating - drifting away while the gentle rhythm carried him. For a moment he felt free and there was warmth around him. The humming made everything that was wicked and treacherous vanish. But, a moment does not last forever and soon the melody started to fade, and in its place was the song that he himself had composed. The song that he longed to just throw away and begin anew.

_**Did you enjoy that, young Kai? I can give you that bliss as often as you like if you will cooperate. **_The voice shattered the remains of the harmony, and Kai was thrown back into the pain he had departed in. But, somehow it was not as bad as when he left.

His head throbbed, but his body was numb. Not as before when he couldn't move, but instead he saw himself bleeding and still did not feel the wounds. It was like he was not in his own body. Not only that, but the emotional pain he had felt was gone. He could faintly make it out - as if it was creeping along the edges of his mind, but for now it was gone.

_**Do not be so confused my child. All will be explained shortly. **_Kai sat up, making sure he could still move. Relived that he could, he stood up and peered out the glass container. Then, the glass door started to open right in front of him, inviting him out. Slightly suspicious, but willing to do anything to get out of the tube, he stepped out. Immediately the cool air welcomed him, and it felt like he had just come up from underneath water.

Looking around, he saw that all the scientists were gone. The only occupants of the room were he and unfortunately a man with violet hair wearing a menacing, red mask.

"Boris." He spat the name like it was disgusting on his tongue. Standing completely still, he waited to see what would happen next.

"Hmmm….Quite the attitude change from before, ehh Kai?" His tone was mocking and Kai realized he had seen and heard everything he had done the last few hours. He hated Boris seeing him weak!

"What did you do to me, Boris," Kai said glaring daggers at the man in front of him. In response, Boris merely laughed. Why do you immediately assume I did something harmful to you? Whatever gave you the impression I would touch a hair on your body? Kai had to make an effort not to snort at this question.

"As proud as I am of the success of my experiment, it will not be me explaining it to you," continued Boris.

"I will contact your grandfather because I believe he wants to do the honors." Just then, the metal door to Kai's right opened and there stood the ominous figure of Voltaire Hiwatari. Both of their gazes locked and it soon became a battle of wills. Neither grandfather nor grandson was about to break the connection. Crimson clashed with gray and the two would have probably went blind before turning away; however, Boris broke them both out of their silent battle and it ended in a draw.

"My Lord, Kai has just revived and I was about to send for you but-"

"Silence. Boris, leave me alone with the boy so we can talk privately," commanded Voltaire. Looking surprised but not questioning, Boris exited the room leaving two last remaining Hiwatari's alone together.

Kai was very alert and surprisingly not as daunted by Voltaire as he usually was. He was always weary when he was in the room with him, but now he felt sure of himself. He was a bloody mess, but something in him made him feel powerful enough that he could take on anyone. Still, he _did_ want to know what Boris did to him.

Voltaire seemed to be very calm. He casually walked over to a chair in the corner of the room and sat down. This really annoyed Kai. It was one of Voltaire's ways to show Kai that he did not see him as a threat. _We will see about that. _

"How do you feel?" The question was so out of character that it caught Kai off guard.

"Why do you care?" Still he managed to recover quickly. Voltaire narrowed his eyes.

"I don't. But, it is not everyday someone is fused with a bit beast and I am curious." Kai replayed the sentence over in his head.

"Fused?" He tried to only be mildly interested, but Voltaire could see the hesitation in his eyes.

"Yes fused. Have you been gallivanting around with those commoners so long that you are incapable of processing information? We took the spirit of Black Dranzer and implanted it within you. She is flowing through your veins as we speak. Let me be the first to congratulate you. You are the first successful person to share a body and mind with a bit beast." Voltaire had a satisfied smirk on his face, but Kai paid it no mind. He looked down at his hands, trying to grasp what Voltaire was telling him. _It can't be true. This has to be one of Voltaire's sick tricks._

_**You know as you think it that that is a lie. **_Kai involuntarily gasped. Black Dranzer, the one thing he might possibly despise more than Voltaire or Boris, was now a part of him. Reminding himself Voltaire was in the room, he tried composing himself.

"So I am fused with Black Dranzer? Now how exactly does that help you?" His voice was steady and calm. Voltaire started to tap the arm of the chair as if bored by the situation.

"Why this is not just beneficial to me, it can help you as well. Think of it as a gift. Power is something you have always wanted, and I have given you the greatest power you can ask for."

"How does this help you?" Kai repeated his question saying each word with emphasis.

Voltaire looked Kai directly in the eyes for the first time.

"You have disobeyed me one too many times, Kai. You misused Black Dranzer last time she was in your command and I will make sure you will not do it again. Black Dranzer can control you, and I control Black Dranzer." Kai had never seen Voltaire so pleased with himself.

"Black Dranzer does not have control over me! No one does except myself," said Kai with determination.

"Is that so? Why don't we give him a demonstration then, hmm Black Dranzer?" Voltaire stood up went over to one of the tables filled with lab equipment, picked up a book, and dropped it on the floor right below Kai's feet. Kai watched, hardly breathing. Something was making him extremely nervous.

"Now Kai, pick up the book," said Voltaire as if he were talking to a four year old.

"I told you Voltaire, no one tells me what to do, and I _definitely_ don't play fetch to scum of a man like you." Kai was pleased with his answer, thinking it would get Voltaire angry; however, the man just stood there smiling.

"Black Dranzer?" Voltaire called the bit beast. As if a switch had been flipped, Kai's body became wracked with pain. All the pain from his wounds that was gone before was now back. It felt as if each scar, cut, and burn was fresh on his skin, and they were hurting ten times more than what it usually would. Soon he fell to the floor, holding himself to try and stop the pain. He could not help but cry out. It was like every punishment he had ever received was happening to his body again.

"If you want it to stop, all you have to do is pick up and hand me the book," said Voltaire simply. With those words Kai felt a wave of determination hit him. He did not care how much his body ached, his pride would never-

_What?!_

Looking up through squinting eyes, Kai saw his hand reaching to the book. But to his horror he could not stop moving it. It was as if strings were attached to it and someone else was controlling them. _**See the fun of this? Your body and mind are so busy trying to cope with the pain that I can sneak right in and take over the controls. **_Black Dranzer was laughing in his head and soon he felt the material of the book beneath his fingers. He tried to get back in control. He had to! But nothing worked. Black Dranzer was right; he was in so much pain, that he could not concentrate on anything else. Soon the book was in his hand, and he was reaching it up to Voltaire who stood hovering above. Kai would have rather died than have seen the look on Voltaire's face. It was a mixture of satisfaction that his experiment had worked, and disgrace that his own flesh and blood had fallen to such a pathetic level. Kai turned his head away. He hated Voltaire more than anything in the world! Why did he always feel this stupid desire to want to please him - to make him be proud of him? But he was not ten years old anymore!

After a moment, Voltaire finally took the book and the pain immediately ceased. Kai got up slowly, his breathing a little ragged.

"What do you have planned?" asked Kai.

"I guess I can tell you, but only because you are a major part of it. You see, that fool of a man Dickinson has a jet flying here as we speak. Apparently someone had communication to share his whereabouts." Kai's eyes sparked, and in spite of himself he smirked, silently laughing at Voltaire. He was horrified at what he had just found out and his mind was racing trying to find a way out of his situation, but on the outside he had regained his composure and was back and ready to drive Voltaire mad.

"But that does not matter. If anything it helps my plan. When he arrives I will have my men out to greet him and soon he will be a prisoner just as you and that team of yours."

"Mr. Dickinson would never follow your command." Kai was not sure if he was telling this to Voltaire, or trying to reassure himself.

"Oh, I am well aware of that; however, I know Stanley well enough that he would never put another person in danger. Just as you did, he will not do a thing if it means harming a hair on any of his precious team's heads. So he will obey me, and with one of the most well-known men in the world working for me, I will have absolute power at my fingertips," chuckled Voltaire.

Kai had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Normal people discuss sports and what to watch on television with their families, not what the next world domination scheme will be.

"Okay. So if that is your plan, then why exactly do you need me?" Kai knew that Voltaire was leaving something big out.

"In order for me to gain power, I will need a weapon so powerful that no one will be able to stop it. First, you will take over the BBA and collect all the major teams' bit beasts. Then Biovolt will surely be unstoppable." Kai had always thought of Voltaire as a sort of Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde kind of person. Sometimes he would be a truly astounding businessman and seem normal, but then just like that he would turn into a psychotic, dictator nutcase whose ideas really did not sound completely sane.

"If I recall correctly, I believe that plan failed last time you tried it. Oh wait, the last _two_ times you tried it," said Kai smoothly. Voltaire glared.

"That was because those brats of yours got in the way. This time though, they won't. In fact, theirs will be the first beasts you take. Boris is getting them ready as we speak, and as soon as Dickinson's jet arrives, the battles will begin."

Kai was taken by surprise. No way could he do that to his team. Not after he was just starting to earn Ray's trust.

"No! What makes you so sure I would help you? I have betrayed my team before, and I am not going to do it again!" Kai's voice was stern.

_**If you do not obey, then I take control just as before. However, before it was a simple task and so it was not as painful as it could have been. This time it would be a stronger task and would require much more than just physical pain.**_

The though unnerved Kai greatly.

"Why? Why does she obey you?" asked Kai. He looked to Voltaire, but he did not seem intent on answering.

_**You should learn not to talk about me as if I am not here. I obey Voltaire Hiwatari because he rescued and restored me after you had attempted to destroy me! He is my new master! Funny how if you had treated me better than maybe you would be my master still! **_Kai held his head in his hands. Black Dranzer was screeching in his head and he could barely make out his own thoughts.

_You…You never listened to me anyway. All you did was try to use me to capture other bit beasts so you could become stronger._

_**I did nothing of the sort! You crave power; I can feel it ringing throughout your soul. It was that connection that made us so powerful together. You could have had control, but you liked how I ran things. Then, when you decided you had had enough you became frightened of the power and did the only thing you could think of to get rid of me!**_

_That is not true!_

_**How dare you challenge me!**_

His head pulsed and his body gave out and fell to the floor once again.

_**Another reason I obey Voltaire, is because he offered me something that I have wanted for a very long time. You! **_Black Dranzer's voice was soft now, but she pulsed through Kai's mind, keeping him on the floor helpless.

_**You see, like I said before, you have a connection with me no one else could come close to. And now that we are united we will be unstoppable! All I ask is for your cooperation.**_

_No! Get out! _Kai was defiant as ever.

_**Oh no, **_laughed Black Dranzer, **_you see, I asked for your cooperation. I didn't say I needed it. I can easily control you willingly or not. I am in you head Kai now and for eternity! I know you strengths, your weaknesses, your joys, your fears and your memories! _**

Bang! Bang!

"Mama? Papa?"

Everything froze and Kai was trapped in that moment. _No! _The scene passed again and this time Black Dranzer talked over it.

_**I can give you power or misery. I can trap you in your memories, or give you freedom of your actions. The choice is yours Kai. **_The scene stopped, and Kai's mind became a jumbled mess as he tried to get his thoughts straight and decide what to do. He did not want to hurt his team or anyone else. He had been labeled a traitor before, and he did not want to go back. But…He never wanted to go through those memories again. Before he could push them away, but with Black Dranzer in his mind he could easily fall into them and never come back out. Besides, either way he was going to end up doing what Voltaire wanted. It always ended that way. Instead of fighting and going through all that pain and torture, he would probably be better off being in control. At least then he could make sure things did not get out of hand. The pain had subsided for now, but it was looming near. His whole life had been filled with torture and punishment for his defiance. Maybe, he was the one who was wrong. Maybe, he should stop fighting and for once allow himself a break from all the pain. Perhaps, the real enemy was not Biovolt, but had been himself all along.

Deep inside him, he new this was not true, but then a soft velvet voice started to sing through his mind. It cooed softly, reassuring him he was on the right track. Not knowing he was being manipulated, Kai started to become more assured and started to agree with this voice.

Kai opened his eyes and let a breath out. Standing up, he looked at Voltaire who had not moved, but was eyeing him curiously.

"I'll do it." He wiped all emotion from his face and from his voice.

Voltaire smiled and headed for the door.

"Be ready when I come back," was the final order he gave before exiting.

Kai was left standing there feeling numb.

_Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he doesn't become a monster himself. _**(1)**

**(With The Blitzkrieg Boys)**

The jet had landed about a mile away from the location of Biovolt, and the occupants were now traveling through the stinging wind and the icy weather. The hike was on mostly flat terrain, and the Blitzkrieg Boys found it relatively easy, but the others didn't.

"Do you think you could possibly try to go a little faster than the snail that just passed you?" called Ian. He, Tala, Bryan, and Spencer were once again waiting for the others to catch up.

"Voltaire could have murdered Kai ten times over by the time we get there," said Bryan. He was really starting to get irritated.

"Shut up, Bryan," said Tala. Yeah, Bryan was right, but he was worried enough as it was.

Spencer, who had been leaning against a tree with his eyes close suddenly stirred and his eyes shot open.

"They know we are here."

The others looked around to see what had caused this.

"How can you be sure?" questioned Bryan. His muscles were taut, and his stance was defensive.

Spencer called his blade back to his hand surprising the rest of his team. They had not known he launched it.

"Seaborg tripped a wire hooked to a camera." Ian looked like he was ready to smack his head against a tree.

"How could we have been so careless?"

Tala hit him upside his head.

"What do you mean _we_? I had expected this," he said. "Biovolt has cameras everywhere, and I would not be surprised if their radar knew we were flying here."

"But, then wouldn't there be men here to capture us?" asked Ian.

"No. Because they are expecting Dickinson. They have no idea we are here," Tala explained. "I have monitored are actions and so far none of us have been caught on camera. I have made sure are movements have been timed so that when the camera turns its lens, that is when we move."

"Why didn't you tell us? It would have been easier if we had been aware." Bryan looked frustrated at having been left in the dark.

Tala smirked. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to find out. Good job Spencer. When we get back to Russia, Ian will do your laundry for a week."

"What! Why me? Why not you or Bryan?"

"Because, I knew all along and when Bryan does laundry everything turns pink," said Tala. Ian hmphed.

"That's okay Ian. I will do my own laundry," said Spencer. The thought of Ian handling his clothes - the Ian who likes playing with explosives- gave him a scary thought.

"Well ladies, now that we finished this fine conversation about washing our clothing, how about you explain your plan Tala because I know you have one," said an impatient Bryan.

"You know me so well, Bryan. The plan is simple. We have to ditch Dickinson and sneak into Biovolt another way. Once they capture him, they won't suspect anyone else was with him. I don't like the idea of just offering the old man to Biovolt, but we really don't have another choice."

"Yeah, but what happens when he tells them we were with him? He is not exactly the best liar you know Tala. And as for ditching him, I really doubt he would be quiet about the whole process."

"If you would listen, Ian, then you may find the answer to your questions. All we have to do is let them see us die." With this, Tala got many raised eyebrows. He sniggered seeing the look on his team's faces.

"Well, we have to fake our death. That way, Biovolt will be even more unsuspecting."

"Okay, good plan except for one little detail…How the heck are we supposed to 'fake die'!" Ian used his fingers as quotations, mocking Tala's idea. He had a feeling he would not like it.

"See that cliff there." Tala pointed to a drop off about a mile in front of them. It was just visible behind some trees. The three nodded their heads.

"Well, we jump off it."

* * *

I know it isn't my longest chapter, but I wanted to get it up. Hmmm. Looks like Tala is turning suicidal. Just kidding! I will try to update before I go back to school, but I cannot make any promises. Please review.

Also, I posted a new poll on my profile about a new story idea. I would really appreciate it if you could check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks!

**(1) **This quote was by Friedrich Nietzsche.

Till then!

-FlamingIce


	21. Uneventful day? Not in Our Lives!

Hi everyone! I cannot thank all of you enough. I have officially reached 300 reviews, and I have over 16,000 hits! When I started this story, I never expected to get such a good response to it, and you all have been so wonderful! As a reward, I tried to hurry and get this next chapter posted before school starts. Hope you all enjoy.

Thanks to: missy-wissy, d1bontemp, vlissan, Secret Thought, KonohaSinX Flame, Ma.anda, bleu-blizzard, Naenna, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, fawks136, Kineo, phoenix80, or-chan, Annika Preminyer, StarShinobi, TalaTati19, eliana152, ari dark princess, LoveLinkAndRobinHood, missjt, and Canyx. I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how I am doing and for providing me with motivation to write.

Disclaimer: I don not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

_Italics _Kai's thoughts

_**Italics **_Black Dranzer

("…") Russian

**Chapter 21: Uneventful day? Not in Our Lives!**

"Where did those boys get off to now?" Mr. Dickinson was having trouble enough navigating his way through the forest; on top of that, he was trying to keep up with the Blitzkrieg Boys at the same time.

"I'm sure they are just up ahead waiting for us. I never realized how out of shape I was," said Judy who was slightly out of breath.

"I can see the building, so we are almost there," said Bruce. The three adults had traveled a little less than a mile from the jet, and surely enough, a black building was visible in the distance.

"There they are!" cried Judy, and the silhouettes of the three boys were clearly visible. Mr. Dickinson had an unnerved feeling. Ever since Tala had told him where he knew the Bladebreakers were, he became very curious. He knew since the conversation he had had with Kai a few weeks earlier that Kai and Voltaire did not exactly have a 'close' relationship, but to go as far as kidnapping his own grandson seemed a little extreme.

He looked up and as he got closer, he saw that Ian and Bryan were both yelling at Tala. Wait a minute. One, two, three - weren't there four! Where was Spencer? Soon, they became close enough to hear Ian's screams.

"You always did have to have your fun, didn't you Tala! Now look what's happened!" Ian ran over to the edge of the cliff looking over the side. He appeared incredibly distressed.

"Yeah, well Spencer never did have to stick up for a midget like you! Look where it got him," replied Tala. His voice was chilling. Ian stood up, looking at the older teen with defiance in his eyes.  
"How dare you blame me!" Ian went to throw a punch at Tala, but he easily dodged it and instead shoved the smaller boy back. Ian fell. A scream didn't leave his lips, but as he tumbled over the side, terror was visible on his face. Tala was stock still as realization as to what just happened dawned on him.

"Ian!" He reached over the edge, but his hands came up empty.

The three adults were frozen in their tracks. None of them believed what their eyes had just witnessed. Finally Bruce came to his senses and ran as fast as he could to Tala and Bryan with Mr. Dickinson and Judy close behind.

Tala seemed locked in time. Bryan however; appeared in hysterics. His breathing had turned ragged and his face was a mixture of anger, and sorrow. As quick as a flash he pounced on Tala.

"You killed them! You killed both of them!"

Bryan pinned Tala to the ground, with his head hanging off the side of the cliff. Tala looked down and then back up to Bryan.

"I didn't want this to happen!"

"You always hated being challenged. You couldn't stand it! Well look what I am doing now! What are you going to do about it?" Bryan shook Tala and snow fell from the ground around them, down to the water rushing below.

The adults were so close now. Only a few yards away.  
"Bryan! Tala!" called Mr. Dickinson. Bryan turned his head, and Tala took advantage of the distraction. He kicked Bryan in the stomach, holding his foot up, and grabbing Bryan's hands he threw him over him, over the side of the mountain. Bryan couldn't do anything, but he grabbed Tala's wrists holding on tight to them.

"If the three of us go, then you for sure are coming with us!" Bryan screamed. Both boys seemed to somersault over each other, right off the edge. The same as Ian before them.

Time seemed to stop for the three adults. Nothing registered in their mind. Finally, with an awful scream Judy shattered the silence. She ran over to the side of the cliff and looked over. A dead limb stuck out from the side and there, tangled around the edges of it, was a piece of torn white clothing. So familiar yet out of place, she couldn't comprehend that this was all that was left of Tala Ivanov.

"It's impossible," Bruce whispered to himself.

("Freeze!") The three turned around and saw about ten men forming a half circle around them. All of them held guns in their hands and were dressed in all black.

"Please! Four boys just fell over the mountain we need help!" cried Judy. The man who had spoken before, turned his gun toward her, quickly silencing her. Seeing they spoke English, he changed languages.

"Do not move. You have trespassed on private property and now the Lord wants to see you. Do as we say, and you will not be harmed. " The man's accent was clear and his voice was empty. The trio had no other choice but to obey, and soon they were being led like prisoners toward the black, stone building.

On the side of the mountain, the Blitzkrieg Boys listened carefully, realizing they had 'died' just in time. Tala's plan seemed crazy, but to the other's surprise had actually worked. A medium-sized crevice, located on the side of the mountain was just about ten feet below the edge. As each one of them fell off the side, they had used the side of the cliff to slow their skidding, and then when they reached the opening, they would drop to the floor of it. It sounded almost impossible, but being raised and trained in the abbey made you _do_ the impossible.

"Well, I guess my plan worked after all. I must say I was disappointed in the faith you all had in me," Tala gloated to his team.

"Don't go getting all high and mighty. Besides, it was _my _great acting skills that made it believable," said Ian.

"'You killed them! You killed both of them! Oh!' Yeah, alert me when you get an Emmy," mocked Tala.

"In case you both forgot, we do have a reason for being crowded in a cave like this," said Bryan. Tala turned serious.

"Okay. Once the area is clear, we'll start climbing back up and then sneak into Biovolt."

"Sounds way easier than it actually is," said Spencer. Tala just shrugged. He was second guessing whether he should have let Mr. Dickinson, Judy, and Bruce be captured. Surely Voltaire wouldn't hurt _them,_would he? He knew better than to harm three people that were popular with the media. Then again, the Bladebreakers were even more popular.

"You know, it is pretty crowded in here," said Ian taking a few steps back. However, he must have misjudged how far from the edge he was and gravity took over.

"Ian!" Spencer, Bryan, and Tala all called out at once.

* * *

An hour later, Mr. Dickinson, Judy, and Bruce were all shoved into a dimly lit, empty room. There were rafters above them, and the stone walls were bare and corroded. The whole way there they had not been said a word to, and now they were by themselves. Mr. Dickinson and Judy seemed slightly apprehensive and were still in shock over what had happened at the cliff. Bruce, unlike his two companions, knew that if anything was going to get done, he could not think about the incident he had just witnessed. Instead, he turned his attention to getting some answers.

"Alright! Whoever you guys are, we demand some answers! Someone answer us!" He yelled to the walls. His words echoed, and for a moment it was silent. Then, a voice boomed around them.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I can see now that the apple does not fall far from the tree. You should watch that temper of yours Mr. Granger, " the voice taunted. Mr. Dickinson quickly recognized it and his previous doubts were confirmed. Voltaire Hiwatari was the cause of all this chaos.

"Voltaire, I demand you give us answers right this minute. You are a wanted criminal and now have kidnapping added to your list. Come out so we can speak face to face." Mr. Dickinson spoke with dignified authority, but it was met by a chuckle.

"You ignorant, naive man. Do you really think that _I _am going to take orders from _you_? Look around. This is my playing field and right now you are merely a pawn at my disposal."

"Where are our children, Voltaire?" ordered Bruce. He was looking around trying to find the source of Voltaire's voice.

"Oh, I assure you they have not been harmed. Yet. Their future safety; however, depends on your cooperation."

"Where are they!" shouted Bruce.

The door they had entered through opened, and Michael, Ray, Max, and Tyson were shoved through the doorway, toppling over each other. They crashed to the ground, and before they knew it they were being tackled. They were so packed together that they could not see the attackers, and all of them tried pulling away. It was not until they heard the familiar voices that the figured out who the people were.

"Mr. Dickinson?"

"M…Mom?"

"Dad!"

The three adults had immediately run over to make sure the boys were okay. Hugs were exchanged and for a short time everyone forgot about the present situation. Then, Voltaire's vile voice rang through the room again.

"What a nice, little reunion. How pathetic!" His voice then turned business like. "Now, I have given you what you wanted, so why don't you all make this as painless as possible for yourselves and do what I say."  
Bruce stood up from kneeling down, and while keeping an arm around his son he spoke.

"You call us pathetic? What makes you think we are going to obey you? We are not your prisoners!"

"Oh contraire. That is exactly what you are! And unless you want your boys taken away again, I suggest you get rid of that attitude." Bruce bit his tongue to keep himself from retorting. Instead, Mr. Dickinson spoke.

"What is it that you want, Voltaire?"

"Power. And you and those three brats are going to obtain it for me." Ray, Max, and Tyson all took a step in front of the others. Their faces were masked in anger.

"How dare you demand something from us! After everything you did?" yelled Max.

"We will never work for you!" shouted Ray.

"You are a complete dirtball, Voltaire, so come on and show us your worst!" screamed Tyson. Their words sounded firm, but there was a hint of fear within them. After what they had seen the last few days, they had reason to be afraid.

"You three will pay dearly for you defiance. I gave you the chance to come easily, and you will regret not taking it!" The doors opened once again, but this time half a dozen guards came through and grabbed one of the occupants. Chains that had been hidden by the darkness before, now seemed to sparkle in the light as each person had one of their arms shackled. There luckily was not enough chains for both of their arms to be tied down, but they were still trapped like rats. Finally when the guards were sure everyone was secure, they left the room, and in their place entered the filthy, lowlife known as Boris Balkov.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Dickinson. By the looks of it you seem to have gotten a good idea of how hospitable we can be here," he greeted. His figure stood in front of the seven people and he observed him as if they were his students.

Ray's feral instincts had kicked in during the fight with the guards and now he was practically growling at the man in front of him. Every time he saw Boris the picture of Kai being slashed with that knife flashed through his mind. Kai! His mind finally realized the slate-haired teen was not here. He had been so surprised at seeing Mr. Dickinson, Bruce, and Judy that he had completely forgotten about him. Some friend he was.

Boris opened his mouth to say something, but Ray cut him off.

"What did you do with Kai!" he demanded. A look of realization dawned on the others, and then it was replaced by shame that they had forgotten him.

"Hmm. Kai? That name does seem to ring a bell," said Boris. Ray lunged and pulled at the chain holding him down, seeing if he could break it.

"Don't play around, Boris! Where is he?" Tyson was almost as irate as Ray.

"You probably should worry less about Kai, and worry more about your own well-being. You see, he has seemed to have a…transformation. An enlightenment on what he is doing with his life. In fact, he is doing better now than he ever has."

"What do you mean?" Max's voice was very suspicious.

"Now if I told you it would give away the surprise. You have been very rude by interrupting my conversation with the adults. Haven't you ever heard the expression that children should be seen and not heard." A rumbling echoed throughout the room and everyone looked around trying to find the source. Boris merely smiled and whispered something to himself. Then, he turned to Bruce and Judy.

"You two are of no service to Biovolt, so what can we use you for," he pondered aloud. His eyes ran them up and down. He let his gaze linger longest on Judy, knowing she was the most fearful. Stupid woman!

"Considering the limited amount of space around here, I am afraid that we may just have to dispose of you two." He gave them an apologetic, grimy smile. Judy shivered, and Bruce lashed out as far as he could reach. Just a few feet more, and he would have landed a solid punch to the side of Boris's jaw. He was seething.

"Who do you think you are, treating people like this!" He shouted.

Boris, who did not even flinch, merely scoffed at the man. "You really want to die, don't you?" He continue, speaking. "Now, I have a proposition. The Bladebreakers," he spat the name like it was not worthy to be on his vile tongue, "will have one beybattle. The rules are very simple, you win, then we keep everyone around, but if you lose, well then, a person close to you loses their life." Boris at this point was laughing with excitement. He continued on like it was a joke.

"Tyson, you will end up killing you father, Maxie, your mother will bite the dust, and you filthy neko-jin, you will be responsible for that American's death." Michael visibly shook, and Boris howled.

"You are insane Boris!" screamed Tyson. "What makes you think we will battle you anyway?" If possible, Boris only got louder.

"Silly, naive boy, you do not have a choice. Either way you will lose. You don't battle, and I kill the three anyway. You do battle, and their lives are still as good as gone." Ray's breath came out ragged as he tried to control his anger.

"And who are we supposed to battle, hmmm, some machine?"

"I am so glad you asked," said Boris.

("It is time to prove yourself, and I suggest you do not blow it!") He called to the air. The others looked at him like he had gone crazy, and when he faced them again, the glint in his eyes practically confirmed it.

"Are you ready to see my newest creation?" No one answered. Then, a swift movement came from above in the rafters, and a figure landed gracefully on the ground. He was hidden by the darkness and stood on the opposite side of the room. The only thing that gave him away was the tail of a white piece of material that fell behind him.

Tyson was speechless.

Max gasped.

Ray was confused whether to smile or be worried. There captain had been in the room the whole time.

**(AN/ Well, I was going to stop here, but since I don't know when I will next update, I guess I can keep going!)**

"Ka…Kai?" stuttered Ray, as the said boy walked into the light. His relief at seeing his captain was quickly shattered as soon as he took a good look at him. Kai had changed and was now dressed in black jeans, a violet muscle shirt, and a black trench coat that went to his knees. Each article had the insignia of **BV** stitched into it. The only thing that Kai wore that did not have the symbol was the white scarf that decorated his neck. Looking closer though, Ray could see the red splotches and black filth that covered the edge of the scarf. It was even torn at the edges - Kai probably had used the material to try and stop some of his bleeding. Ray's thoughts stopped, and then shot forward again. How much pain was Kai in? His outfit covered his entire body, right down to his fingerless gloves, so what was the state of his body under those clothes? Ray could not see Kai's face because he was turned away from him, but his posture was completely erect. This gave Ray some hope knowing that Kai was strong enough to still stand up straight, but why was he wearing those clothes?

"There you are Kai my boy! You sure do know how to make an entrance. Now, what is this all about?" asked Mr. Dickinson. No one else dared to even make a sound. That would usually have been Tyson's job, but he was too shocked to see his team captain standing right next to Boris and wearing Biovolt's logo.

Instead of Kai answering Mr. Dickinson, he turned straight toward him and gave the old man a glare so cold, it would make Russia look like a tropical island. This gave Ray a good chance to catch Kai's face, but as soon as he did, Ray wished he had not looked. There were a few bruises and some minor cuts on Kai's face, but it was Kai's eyes that scared Ray the most. The bright crimson had turned almost entirely black and they were completely void-lifeless.

"Now," asked Boris, "who wants to go first?" The room turned silent as realization dawned on everyone, and then a voice ice cold spoke strong and determined.

"I do."

* * *

Well, that is all for now. I know there was not a lot of Kai in this chapter, but a big Beybattle is going to take place in the next chapter! Any guesses as to who it will be against?

I start high school Monday, but I will still try to update ASAP. I promise that I will finish this story, it just might take a while. Thank you for reading and please review!

-FlamingIce


	22. How Many Opponents Do I Have?

Hiya! Yes I am still alive. I had no idea high school was going to be so much work. (phew!) I apologize one thousand times for the long wait, and thanks so much to everyone who is still reading this story. To tell the truth, I had to go back and read it to remember what was going on. I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks to: missy-wissy, d1bontemp, vlissan, Secret Thought, KonohaSinX Flame, , DHiwatari, Naenna, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, fawks136, Miako6, phoenix80, or-chan, Annika Preminyer, phoenix-falling, blazingfire03, Zodiac100001, Rapunzelle, TalaTati19, Kai's-Suzaku, ari dark princess, Yuliya, LoveLinkAndRobinHood, marishka91, see-no-evil-san, XSilentX-XShadowsX, Elves of the Moon, CleverPhoenix, and Canyx.

Also, a big thanks to saturnz-moonlit-beauty who went back and reviewed a multiple of chapters!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or its characters. The passage from the poem I use is not mine. I found it on the internet. I can't give proper credit to who wrote it because I could not find a name, but it does not belong to me. I believe it is called "Know Thyself."

Warning: I switch viewpoints multiple times this chapter.

"…" talking

"(…)" Russian

_Italics _Kai's thoughts

_**Italics**_ Black Dranzer

**Chapter 22: How Many Opponents Do I Have?**

**Last Time:**

"Now," asked Boris, "who wants to go first?" The room turned silent as realization dawned on everyone, and then a voice, ice cold spoke strong and determined.

"I do."

**Now:**

Everyone in the room stared with incredulity at the source of the voice. There stood Tala Ivanov in all his glory looking like a wolf ready to go in for the kill. Behind him stood his ever-faithful team looking equally as wild.

The room was dead silent as everyone interpreted their arrival differently. Tyson and the others were somewhat relieved, because they had figured out in their short amount of time being in the abbey that Kai trusted the Blitzkrieg Boys. Kai, himself, still did not respond to anything that was going on. It was Mr. Dickinson, Judy, and Bruce who reacted most to seeing them.

"You…You're alive! But how?" stumbled Mr. Dickinson.

Tala kept his eyes on Boris and remained silent, ignoring the older man. Everyone's attention focused on Tala's and Boris's face-off. Suddenly, finding what he was looking for, Boris smirked and turned away.

"I must admit I wondered where you four wandered off to, but then I realized it didn't really make a difference," said Boris simply.

**Tala's POV**

Bryan growled low in his throat behind me. I could feel his desire to rip Boris to shreds radiating off of him. The feeling was definitely mutual. I steal a small glance at Kai and my anger grows. Whatever he has done to him, I will make him pay dearly! Turning my attention back to Boris, heat rises on the back of my neck as I see that he has turned away from us. No one else in the world would care, but to us - to me, every movement Boris makes is an attack. Whether to our bodies, to our pride, or to our minds, everything he does is suggesting something only we would understand.

My nails dig into the palms of my hands. After everything he has put us through, how dare he brush us off as if we are nothing! I see red - heck I see flaming fire! I do not care if I lose it in front of everyone who thinks I am always so composed. I do not care if I am shot dead on the spot. I have been waiting for this moment ever since the last tournament. Hatred pounds from within me and I pounce. Me, the reasonable, logical one. My fist is raised and my muscles tighten ready to strike. Just one punch will satisfy me. I am one inch away and my hand meets with flesh: another hand which deflects my punch. Out of nowhere, a kick aimed at my head comes at me from the side. Moving in time to block it, I jump back, and land a few feet in front of the spot I was before. Boris could not block like that.

**End Tala's POV**

Kai rises from his crouched position in front of Boris and stares blankly into Tala's eyes. The best friend who he had just aimed a kick at. Something clicks, and he is broken from the despairing thoughts of before. _Tala._

"_**That was perfect young one. What nice form you have. Of course we will have to work on your force. He shouldn't have been able to block so easy. You better be careful, because if I find out you are holding back, then…Well, you know what happens." **_Black Dranzer's voice is both pleased and irritated, and he feels the same emotions grab at him. However, it doesn't overtake the worry and relief he feels at seeing the Blitzkrieg Boys. Relief that they are okay, and worry at what he might have to do to them.

"Why thank you, Kai. I must say it is nice to have at least one loyal student left," sneers Boris. He turns back to the group who cannot seem to make heads or tails of what is happening.

"Now, are we going to have a battle or not? How about the filthy neko-gin first." All heads turn to face Ray and Michael gulps.

"Are you hard at hearing or is old age getting to you, Boris? I said before that I will be the one to battle!" Tala's voice was full of ferocity and disdain. He took another step forward, and felt movement from his teammates behind him. They had stepped also. On their way here they had argued about who would be the one to fight if need be. They knew it was going to happen because that was the way Boris and Voltaire operated. Of course no one agreed with Tala's decision to take on the challenger by himself, but he is team captain, and when it comes down to Biovolt, the others have always trusted Tala's actions. It was just the way the team was organized. Tala is the leader.

"I choose who battles, boy, and I have no interest in having you be the opponent." Boris turns to face back to the Bladebreakers, but Tala's voice stops him.

"If I lose, Boris, my life is yours." Everyone stares at Tala as if he has grown a second head, but Tala was sure of himself. He knew what Boris wanted, and he knew that in order to get what _he _wanted; he had to risk it all.

"What are you playing at?" Boris spoke with suspicion.

"Exactly what I said. If I lose, my life is yours, Boris. You can own me. My will and body to do with what you like." To Tala's disgust/satisfaction, Boris's eyes brightened at the mention of owning Tala's body. Tala knew that the man had always had a certain lust for him. In fact, he had unfortunately discovered it at a very young age. However, due to certain rules that Voltaire had, Boris could only have "fun" occasionally. He knew this was why Boris would take the offer, and that was what worried Tala.

Boris's eyes sparkled, and slowly he sauntered over to where the flaming haired boy stood. Bryan, Ian, and Spencer looked ready to kill, but Tala stood stock still. Casually and delicately, Boris ran his hand along Tala's cheek. Tala kept his eyes straight ahead not looking at anything but screaming on the inside.

Kai looked at his friend, anger and hatred aimed at Boris. He went to step forward, but was immediately crushed into silence and stillness by the weight of Black Dranzer.

"_**Unh. Unh. Ah. Don't do anything you will regret." **_Kai could not but help obey the voice. Every second that passed, he felt his control loosening and Black Dranzer's gaining. However, upon seeing his friends and teammates, his defiance had returned.

"Hey, Sicko! What do you think you are doing!" Bruce shouted. Boris just smiled at Tala.

"You will be mine. Enjoy your battle." He patted Tala's cheek harshly and walked over to the corner of the room.

Tala walked to his team for a minute.

"Tala," breathed Ian, but was stopped by the older teen.

"Whatever happens, do not interfere. If something goes wrong, get out. If possible help the others too. That's an order not a request." Tala was completely stoic.

"You don't have to do this on your own, Tala. We can help," said Bryan.

"Your wrong. This battle is between me and Kai. I can see in his eyes that he is torn. He is not as far lost as we think_. I _have to do this. You focus on helping the others," he commanded. They looked at each other silently for a minute wondering if this was it.

"If you lose, we won't leave you," said Spencer.

"Yes you will. You can live life and enjoy it. I gave my word, you didn't. Don't throw your life away when it will only be wasted. If you want to come back and fight another day, then that's fine, I cannot stop you. But if you are going to fight on account of me, then it will do no good." He stops and smiles softly. "Thank you, my brothers. And don't worry. This is me we're talking about, I never lose." He gives them a long, meaningful look and turns and heads toward the playing field. His teammates know that everything Tala said was true. Although they could not bring themselves to think about it, it _would _be pointless to fight for Tala's sake. Because, each of them know that Boris will never own Tala. He will die, or he will fight till he is killed before it ever happens.

Kai walks steadily to the middle of the room to meet Tala. They both lock gazes and the rest of the occupants seem to disappear. It's just the two of them in their own world.

"(Kai. I don't know what Boris or Voltaire did, but there has to be some way to snap out of it. I know this isn't your own free will and I am going to do everything I can to break you from this state. But you have to try too. Don't give up,)" whispers Tala. Kai goes to say something back, but stops before he even opens his mouth. Black Dranzer replays the day's events through his mind. He feels the hopelessness he felt kneeling on the floor in front of Voltaire. The feeling that everything he does will only make things worse. He attempts to fight it away, but becomes so caught up that Black Dranzer easily takes over his mind. He doesn't even notice that he's talking. However, it is not his words, but Black Dranzer's.

("You should quit living in a fantasy world, Ivanov. I am perfectly happy with what I am doing and I don't need you 'save me.' In fact, you are the one who is going to need saving.") Kai's voice was mocking and menacing. Tala stared into the empty black irises which had once been a deep crimson.

("Your wrong-") started Tala, but he was cut off by a loud _SLAP_ to his face. The others gasp, Boris chuckles, and Tala holds his cheek. Kai's mind snaps back to reality and horror at what he just did fills him. _Tala. No, I didn't mean it. _

"How dare you challenge me. Now you will learn your lesson as will all the others." He hears his voice, but does not recognize it. His feet turn around and he gets in a launching position. Tala, keeps quiet, but mirrors Kai's actions.

"Wait, they are going to fight here?" asks Judy. "This room is too small. With the power and force of their bit-beasts, we will be caught in the heat of the battle."

"Don't worry, my dear. Voltaire and myself will be watching from a safe distance." With that said, Boris casually exits.

"Now what?" asks Max.

"They battle," whispers Tyson next to him. The tension builds and a blanket of emotion covers the room.

Once again, Tala's and Kai's eyes meet and for one second Tala catches a hint of red. That is all he needs.

"Three." Him and Kai chant at the same time.

"It's captain vs. captain," states Max.

"Two."

"Teammate vs. teammate," adds Tyson.

"One."

"Friend vs. friend," murmurs Ray.

"Let it Rip!" Both boys launch their blades with all their strength. Immediately the two are locked in battle and are rapidly dodging each other's attacks. Flashes of silver and black crash back and forth. I should have known, thought Tala, it's Black Dranzer.

Kai fights to gain control over his blade, but because Black Dranzer's blade is released, her power has seemed to increase over him. _I cannot let her out of the blade. If she gets completely out, then…_ _**"You catch on quick, Kai. But your efforts are wasted. I have remained dormant for too long, and you will not stop me." **_

She forces his mouth to open. "Black-" _No. You are not getting out! _She shouts in his ears and he visibly cringes.

Tala takes advantage of Kai's momentary distraction, and Wolborg strikes a perfect attack, forcing Kai and his blade to fall back a few feet.

_What the- _Kai feels his side cut open and soon his shirt becomes moist with dark red.

"_**We are one now. Every hit I take, you take. That is why it is best if I end this soon. It will spare you some." **_Kai breathes deeply, and he focuses his whole mind on keeping Black Dranzer in his blade.

**Tala's POV **

Why is your blade just spinning there Kai? Is it a trap? This can't be this easy. I hate fighting you like this, especially while you are fighting another battle at the same time. Regardless, it must be done. I don't want to attack you like this, Kai, but if it's the only way to free you, then I will.

"NOVAE ROG!"

**End Tala's POV**

Wolborg erupts from the blade and Tala feels his companions strength reign inside of him. The wolf springs at Black Dranzer who does not even dodge the attack. Ice shards fly everywhere and frost and snow sting the others' faces. The vibrations themselves shake the floor. Kai flies backward and lands on his back, his body shaking almost convulsively. His head rattles and his skin is throbbing after being stabbed with the piercing ice. As the dust from the attack clears, everyone to their amazement sees the ebony blade still spinning, and the ever-strong Kai on the ground.

"_**See, you should have listened. Lucky I'm strong enough to be able to withstand that pathetic attack. Of course, you look a little worse for wear. Don't worry though, I'll make everything better." **_

"Kai!" shouts Ray. Tala freezes at the sight of his friend. Then, a light emits form the dark blade, and the phoenix of darkness bursts out, sending pulses through the room. With a shrieking cry, she is fully free and more powerful than ever.

She towers high above Wolborg and dives straight at him. However, instead of as expected, her strength is not at full power. Still the impact is hard, and Tala, as a result, is thrown backward and lands ungraciously against the wall. Rubbing his head, he winces, but stands back up, a small trail of blood coming from his mouth.

_Stop this now, Black Dranzer. That's a command! _

Black Dranzer screeches in reply and turns around to face her 'master.' _**Do you still not understand? I am the master and you are the pawn. Your control over me vanished long ago when you tossed me into that lake. **_

_You cannot end this battle on your own. Just as a blader needs a bit-beast's strength to win, a bit-beast needs a blader's strength in return. _Kai slowly gets on his knees and stares defiantly into the beast's eyes.

_**And let me guess, you are going to do things the hard way. Very well, but not only will you suffer, but your friends will as well. **_

Slowly, Kai's vision starts to fade. His body becomes engulfed in darkness, suffocating him_. I will not fall for your tricks. _

Brat!

Wet-blanket!

Ice-prince!

Traitor!

Pathetic!

Grandson!

_Why are there so many voices? I have to be going crazy. _

Kai! Come here, my little phoenix!

_Mom?_

There's my boy!

_Dad? Stop this! It's not real, none of it's real! _

Soft skin caresses his cheek. How can we not be real, Kai, if you can feel us. Don't be afraid, everything will be alright now, Son. His mother's and father's embrace erases past doubts, and even if they remained, Kai didn't want to believe them. His parents were with him. It had been so long since he last felt them - since he last saw them. Everything was too perfect.

Back in the room, the beybattle between Kai and Tala has seemed to come to a standstill. Neither of the blades are attacking, and Kai is slouched over on his knees, his eyes glassed over. Tala stands slightly unsteady, watching his friend intently. Wolborg is waiting patiently for the command to attack, but none comes. Black Dranzer's back is turned to her opponent, and she towered over her supposed 'master.'

What can I do? thinks Tala. Every attack I make hurts Kai as well. She's doing something…manipulating him. I have to stop her, but I can't if he is unable to defend. He'll be killed.

"Ray, what's going on? Why is Kai acting this way?" asks Tyson quietly. Ray stares at the fallen blader whose strength seems to be all but used up.

"It's not Kai, Tyson. It's Black Dranzer. Remember the Russian Tournament? Kai's eyes are the same as they were then. This time, though, he's fighting back."

"What can we do?" Max's voice trembles.

"I wish I knew."

Suddenly, Kai's legs start to twitch and slowly, he rises shakily to his feet.

No one knows whether to be relieved or worried.

"Kai," calls Tala. The said blader steadies himself, and opens his eyes to reveal a soulless black stare.

"Black Dranzer!" The hoarse voice was speaking in third person, but it was so satisfied, that the demon didn't even care.

"Wolborg!" Tala hoped the little defense would help.

Black Dranzer dove straight for the smaller wolf and attacked with controlled power. She didn't want to end the battle just yet. She wanted to make Kai's friend suffer, so that Kai would later on feel the guilt.

Wolborg roared in agony upon impact, and Tala was thrown backward again. This time he skidded across the ground and landed a few feet in front of the others. He landed on his arm which immediately started to throb. Praying it wasn't broken, he stood up cursing loudly in Russian.

"Tala. That isn't Kai. Well, it is, but he's not in control," informed Tyson.

Not taking his eyes off the blade, Tala shouted back. Irritation was clearly heard in his words. "You idiot, I know that! Don't you think I would have realized that by now." Going back to his position, he focused completely on defense. He knew that with her power, Black Dranzer could end the battle whenever she wanted too. But, he also knew that she didn't want to go back in her blade just yet. Even if she was toying with him, he had to protect himself best as he could and at the same time try to fight back and look for a weakness.

"Again, Black Dranzer!" Tala cringed at hearing the fake voice, but he did not have time to think about it. Again the collision hit and he and his blade were tossed backward.

Hang in there, Wolborg, we can do it. We have to. Wolborg nodded his head to his master's thought.

The attacks went on like this, and it wasn't long before Black Dranzer grew bored.

"I expected more from you, Tala," spat Kai/Black Dranzer. "This is pathetic. Even for a filthy street rat like yourself! No wonder nobody cared for you." Tala's body froze and he looked up at Kai's face. Those words. How dare he mention something like that! He tried telling himself it wasn't Kai talking, but…

"You celebrated your birthday a few weeks ago didn't you, Tals? So sorry I missed it, but I figured it really doesn't count if you just make up a date because you don't know your real day of birth!" Kais' words cut hard into Tala. These were things only he knew about Tala, and now he was throwing them in his face.

"Stop it! Kai, you don't mean those things. Fight Black Dranzer!" He cringed at how desperate his voice sounded.

_Tala?_

Don't worry yourself, darling, everything is fine.

_But, Tala. What's wrong?_

It's nothing. What do you care about him for anyway. We are all here and that's all that matters.

"Kai!"

_Tala's voice. No! _

Kai, dear.

_Stop it. The beybattle…Black Dranzer- _He pulls away from the warmth of his mother. _I want to believe but…you aren't real. But Tala, he is. _The image of his parents fades away slowly in front of him. _I want to hang on, but not to hallucinations. I won't lose another person to Biovolt! This is my mind and I control it! _The darkness starts to fade and as he wills himself out of his mind, the affects of the battle all bombard his body at once.

"Errrr!" Falling to the ground, he steadies himself so he does not let go of his tenuous grip on reality. The battle stops for a moment as Black Dranzer freezes from her attacks, and all eyes turn to Kai.

_**You! You insolent little…Can't you just accept that I have won.**_

Keeping his eyes trained on the ground, Kai answers through gritted teeth, but loud enough for the quieted room to hear.

"What have you won? Me? Believe me, I am hardly worth winning. If you want my life, I honestly don't care if you take it." His voice is laughing with bitterness.

"Wha…Kai?" whispers Ray. His captain's eyes are crimson again, but glazed over.

"I would love to just die right now, Black Dranzer," continues Kai. "But you see, it's not that easy. It never is that easy." Forcing himself to stand, Kai pushes himself up and glares fire at Black Dranzer. "I will not roll over and die as long as Biovolt is still around and as long as Voltaire and Boris are still breathing. I will not step aside and watch you kill and torture my best friend!" Kai's voice starts to turn soft, "I will, however, be willing to die, if it means destroying you." He looks meaningfully at Tala who nods solemnly.

"Wolborg! Attack with Novae Rog!" The atmosphere in the room changes so suddenly that no one comprehends it quick enough. Not even Black Dranzer, who is sent flying through the air, shrieking in pain. She is not the only one to suffer though and hers and Kai's cries are one in the same as he crashes against the back wall. His shirt is soaked now with blood and the metallic taste fills his mouth.

Black Dranzer regains quicker than Kai, but realizes she cannot make a move without his command.

_**You idiot! If you don't do something we will both be destroyed! **_

_So? _Kai knew the answer sounded childish, but he was fighting just to stay conscious.

_**I have waited three years for this, and I will not let you throw it away! **_

Black Dranzer rose high in the air, ready to strike. To everyone's amazement though, she faced Kai, not Tala.

With a battle cry overflowing with rage and ferocity, she dove straight at Kai, hitting her mark perfectly.

"Kai!" The cries of his teammates and friends went unheard as the teen was engulfed back into the darkness.

_You do not truly  
know yourself  
unless you confront yourself  
in the darkness _

_**This is where it ends Kai!**  
no lights to shelter you  
surrounding you in fake daylight _

The tendrils of memories grasped at Kai, pulling on him. "No! I won't go back!"

_**Words will not erase your past!**_

The scene. The smell. The voices.

He watched himself sit huddled on the bed, covering his ears with his small hands. So much noise was coming from the other room. Crashing, yelling, and screaming. Then, all of a sudden it grew quiet. He watched as he took his hands off of his ears to see if it was over. "Don't' go!" He tried to stop the young boy. The boy who was still so innocent.

He watched himself look around the corner and then stare in horror at the men.

This is where the memory stops! Why isn't it stopping? The usual gap in this memory, however, was very filled up.

"You have failed me son. You went off and married this wench, disgraced your family name, and on top of it soiled the Hiwatari bloodline by having a child! The least you can do is give me the boy so I can raise him properly!" shouted a younger Voltaire.

"You will not take Kai to that place of yours! He is our child! Now get out of our house!" screamed back Alexander Hiwatari.

_no music to hide the whispers of fear _

"I had wanted so much more for you son, but you destroyed everything. You are of no further use to me. Goodbye." Voltaire's voice was harder than Kai had ever heard it.

_no moon, no stars, nothing...  
Just you. _

No. He can't. Even he wouldn't!

"Bang! Bang!"

_With nothing between you and the Dark  
you face the demons in your soul _

Blood. Everywhere he looked there was red. Little Kai ran over to the two forms of his parents who had fallen. The older Kai stayed rooted to his spot. All this time he had figured one of Voltaire's henchmen had killed them.

_and see their true face  
then, knowing them  
they are conquered... _

It was heinous for Voltaire to give an order like that, but for the man to do it himself…To kill his own son and daughter-in-law! His own Grandfather whom he had tried so hard to please!_  
__but maybe  
they will conquer you... _

_are you game  
to take that chance?_

Fire erupted from Kai searing him inside out. It was not pain, but power. The memory vanished and he was back in the room.

_**How?**_ **_That memory destroys you! You shouldn't be able to take it!_** Being apart of him, she looked within and saw what he felt.

Kai laughed maliciously, like a madman.

"You want to kill and destroy so much, Black Dranzer, well then lets make a compromise."

Screeching, Black Dranzer was sucked back into her blade. A move that was nearly impossible before was like cake for Kai now. Catching it in his hand, Kai looked carefully at everyone in the room.

"If you want him, Tala, then you better beat me to him." Kai grinned devilishly and sprinted from the room.

The others looked to Tala for an explanation. Disbelief filled the red-head's eyes, and he immediately started giving orders.

"Ian, Spencer! Free them and then find us. Bryan hurry up and come with me!" shouted Tala.

"Wait! What's going on!" demanded Ray. Without pausing, Tala headed for the door.

Without warning, the remaining two Blitzkrieg Boys aimed their blades at the others' chains, and pulled the rip cored. Both blades cut through the decrepit metal easily, frightening the owners of the hands who the blades had barely missed. With relief, they let their arms fall to their sides. The reflief soon vanished though, and was replaced with fear for the duo-haired boy.

* * *

(With Kai)

_**So, your motives have changed have they? Maybe we can work together as one. **_Kai ignored the voice and pounded through the hallways. He could care less about the injuries that covered his body or the exhaustion that was catching up with him. All he felt now was rage and the desire for blood. Voltaire's blood.

He reached the corridor where he and his team had been taken when they first arrived. He was greeted by three guards standing watch and looked at them menacingly. They moved to stop him, but Kai was overflowing with adrenaline. One punch. Two punches. Three punches, and the guards were down just like that. He gripped the handle to the door and slammed it open, holding his launcher out in front of him. Black Dranzer was going to enjoy this just as much as he was.

In spite of his surprise appearance though, Kai was met with an armed Voltaire, pointing his gun directly at his grandson. Both froze. Kai noted Boris standing in the far corner, but as far as he could tell, he wasn't armed.

"What do you think you are doing, boy?" inquired Voltaire. Kai let no emotion slip.

"Lower your gun, Voltaire. You don't scare me anymore. After finally figuring it out, you could shoot me a million times over, but I wouldn't be able to die without knowing you were going with me." Kai felt pleased when Voltaire's mouth twitched slightly.

"What did you figure out?" It wasn't an order as usual, but a genuine question.

Tala appeared in the doorway behind Kai, slightly out of breath.

"That you…You filthy monster destroyed them! You killed your own flesh and blood! _My_ mother and father. How could you?" Kai's voice lowered and started to shake. His eyes were moist, but he refused to give Voltaire the satisfaction. Understanding flashed through Tala's eyes. "Kai…" He went unheard by both Hiwataris.

"That's what this is about? That was twelve years ago!" laughed Voltaire.

"They. Were. My parents! I don't care how long ago it happened_, you _took them away from me! You murdered your own son!" Now Kai's whole body shook with rage and despair.

"My son was not worthy of the Hiwatari name. All his life he disappointed me and finally he went too far," explained Voltaire.

"Tell me this then, Voltaire. Do you regret what you did?" Kai looked deep into the steel grey eyes. They twinkled and a smirk went along with them.

"No."

If possible, Kai's body became more tense.

"You see, that is the reason I know you will not kill me, Grandson. I am your only living relative left. You have no one else in this world. You hate me with your entire soul, but because you are weak, you will never allow yourself to kill me. Being noble, that was always your downfall."

"Don't listen to him, Kai! Don't you see, he wants you to kill him. He knows that everything is over. If you murder him, you'll be giving him his final wish. His blood will be on _your_ hands, and he knows that will follow you forever. You will never be able to be free of him!" Kai was torn. He knew Tala was right, but the yearning for vengeance burned within him. His grip tightened and he placed his feet ready for attack.

"What will this prove, Kai? The minute you launch, he fires, and then you both are dead. You won't even be able to feel the satisfaction of revenge. I'm sorry that he killed your parents, but murdering him isn't going to bring them back. Think of them. Would they be happy knowing that their son became a killer because of them." Tala's words hit Kai hard and his rage practically flew out of him.

_You told me to stay hopeful, and I have lost that. You gave your lives to keep me from this, and I have been throwing your sacrifice away. I'm so sorry I failed you. _

Kai lowered his launcher and stepped back to be beside Tala. "I will not become the same man you are."

Hatred and outrage poured out of Voltaire. "You little-." He pulled the trigger, aiming it directly at his grandson.

"Bang!" echoed through the corridors, and everyone in the building froze.

* * *

Well, that's it. Can you believe this chapter was twenty-eight pages long? I have never in my life written that much! (Go me!)

Thanksgiving break is coming up soon, so if I don't have too much work, then I may be able to update within two weeks. I hope so at least. Thanks for reading and please review!

-FlamingIce94


	23. How to Save a Life

Well, I guess I didn't update as quickly as I thought I would. He he! Sorry about that. But at least I am still around! Hopefully you guys are too.

Thanks to: setsuko teshiba, d1bontemp, vlissan, .EverLastingFun., KonohaSinX Flame, , CleverPhoenix, Naenna, Smiffyizdabest, Wah-Keetcha, CoNfUsEd, Miako6, phoenix80, Annika Preminyer, Rapunzelle, TalaTati19, ari dark princess, Kineo, Dragon Reverb, LoveLinkAndRobinHood, KaiHiwatariFan, lovebeyblade, saturnz-moonlit-beauty, see-no-evil-san, The Swordsman, BeckyTao, Yami-Yume No Kokoro, Susaku, scarletmirror, beautyofthedarkmoon, Lhune, starshinobi, and Canyx.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or its characters. Just my own ideas!

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' Kai's thoughts

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

To make up for the long wait, this is my longest chapter yet. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 23: How to Save a Life**

Time passes quickly. Before one knows it a day, a year, a lifetime has passed. It never seems like there is enough time. But, as Kai watched Voltaire pull the trigger, time seemed to stand still. Everything moved in slow motion. He could have moved if he wanted to. The bullet was going so slow that he could practically catch it, but why bother? If this was Voltaire's final wish, then let him live with it.

"Bang!"

"Kai!"

Tala watched his friend fall to the ground. He saw the silent scream on his lips and the pain in his eyes. Why hadn't he moved? Why wasn't he fast enough to push Kai aside? Dropping next to his friend, for the first time in a long time, panic took over him. Please be okay. Please don't die. He heard Bryan yelling behind him, but he couldn't make out the words.

("Kai,") he whispered softly. Checking his pulse, Tala was relieved to see Kai still alive. Just barely though. He prayed the bullet didn't hit anywhere vital. Looking for where the bullet pierced, he easily found blood seeping through Kai's chest from under his shirt. Quickly, he tried to remove the shirt so that he could better inspect the hit.

While Tala checked on Kai, chaos was happening all around. The Bladebreakers and everyone else had arrived in the room despite Spencer and Ian's attempts to keep them away. (Although in all honesty they really didn't try to hard because they wanted to see what was happening too.) Bryan went to tackle the man who had harmed his friend, but Boris got in the way first, and now the former 'student' and 'teacher' were battling it out. Once they arrived, Ian and Spencer joined in, having waited for this moment their whole lives. However, it only took one solid punch, and Boris was knocked out.

Voltaire sidestepped the fighting, around him, and composed himself. He smiled and then inconspicuously he aimed another shot, this time at Tala. Everything was so crazy, that no one noticed, at least that's what he thought. Right before he pulled the trigger, the gun was knocked from his hand and went skidding halfway across the room due to a perfectly aimed kick by Bruce.

"What do you think you're doing?" growled Voltaire, obviously furious for having been caught off guard.

"Training under a father who teaches kendo comes in handy, doesn't it?" Bruce feinted forward and gained the upper hand on Voltaire. Being younger and stronger, he was able to restrain the man and held him to the floor. Just barely though.

"You think anything you do will matter?" snarled Voltaire. "It's too late. My grandson is an inch away from death, and when he is gone, I will finally have succeeded. If I couldn't have him, then no one would. All I had was what I invested in him. So go ahead and end my life. I'll be leaving soon anyway."

Bruce knocked the man in the back of the head, rendering him unconcious. Looking up though, he found Voltaire's words to be true. Now, not only was Tala surrounding Kai, but now so were the Bladebreakers, Mr. Dickinson, and Judy. The teen definitely didn't look good, and by the look on their faces, time was running out.

"What can we do? Is there someone we could call or…how far away are we from help?" rambled Tyson, trying to think of a solution.

"The plane we arrived on is about a mile or so from here. We wouldn't be able to get him there in time though and he would only be in worse condition if we moved him," reasoned Judy.

"But he can't -"

"SHUT UP!" Tala cut Max off. "He is going to pull through. We'll find something to do, just stop talking like that." Tala's voice emotionless, but everyone realized that he was hurting just as much, if not worse than them.

("Come on Kai, please don't die on me.") The words were a pleading whisper.

**

* * *

**

(Kai's POV)

It's an odd thing. Everyone always associates darkness as being cold, but its not. It's warm, like a blanket you're hiding under. I can't see. I can't move. Everything is black. My thoughts are the only things reminding me that I'm still alive. Or am I? Can you think when you're dead?

_**We are not dead yet, young Kai. **_

Black Dranzer.

My mind halts. The creature's voice only makes the thought of death more inviting.

_**Please, try not to be so morbid, young Kai. **_

Irritation (if there is such a thing when you're unconscious) pricks at me.

Try not to be morbid? I was just fatally shot! And not only that, but I was just being attacked by you! So I'm sorry if I'm not exactly the perfect welcoming committee.

_**Voltaire used us both. He wanted only to use the two of us. He didn't have either of our best interests in mind. **_

Aren't bit beasts supposed to have some sort of unparallel wisdom? Because if you are just now figuring that out, then apparently you skipped that lesson.

_**I don't think you understand the direness of this situation. You must focus, Kai! **_Black Dranzer's voice was no longer patient and soothing but almost desperate.

Focus? Focus on what! On how I was just shot by my grandfather? On how I just found out that said man killed both my parents? On how I looked up to him for years, waiting for his approval before I realized it was never going to come? Or should I focus on all the people that I've hurt? All of whom are probably celebrating right now because I'm finally out of their lives. Let me know when I'm getting warm, Black Dranzer?' He was tired of everything! Living, hurting, bleeding-just everything! What was there left in life?

_**I can bring Dranzer back! **_

**(End Kai's POV)**

'I am tired of playing games. Leave me alone.' The thought was filled with hate and emptiness.

_**Listen to me! It's true. All I need is a beyblade to contain her in! **_The creature's words were border-lining hysterics.

'You must be lying. You hate Dranzer. Why would you want her back? Just shut up and let me die in peace.' Kai wouldn't allow himself to hope. Whether the hope would have been to live or for Dranzer's appearance, either way he was sure to be let down.

_**You don't understand! If you die, I die too! Bit-beasts aren't supposed to die, but I can't leave because we're fused together. Dranzer can save us! All I need is for you to try to reach consciousness long enough to get hold of a blade!**_

'And then what! You take over again, and I continue living like this! I'm done being your puppet!'

_**Please, young Kai! I no longer wish to control you. I have accepted that we share the same fate, so we both must look out for each other.**_

'I don't trust you.'

_**You don't have too. Think of it this way, if Dranzer comes back, then she'll probably guarantee that I won't try anything. But please, you must hurry!**_

Although denying it, the main reason Kai didn't want to believe Black Dranzer is that it would mean that he still had to fight. If he was to regain consciousness instead of letting it consume him, then there were pretty good chances he would not like what he was going to find. However, his mother's words were still fresh in his mind. "Don't give up."

Not only that, but he wasn't good enough for death. After all the trouble he caused, he had to face up to the consequences. It wasn't his style to just run away.

'What do I have to do?' The words were firm and confident. His mind was made up, and Kai was going to go through with it.

_**Like I said before, you must focus! Focus on the real world. On your friends, on beyblading, on Dranzer! Whatever it takes to get a clear picture of reality. Try to wake yourself up! Once you are awake, you then must find my blade, and launch it. I will do the rest from there. **_

As easy a task as it seemed, the last thing Kai wanted to do was focus on reality. However, taking a deep, mental breath Kai concentrated the best he could.

**

* * *

**

(With the others)

Bryan observed the room, and the mess everything and everyone was in. Knocking out Boris had been one of the highlights of his life, but it was short-lived once he realized Kai's condition. Everyone was crowded around him, trying to do something, but at the same time not really doing anything.

Pushing the others aside, he walked over, and crouched next to Tala who had Kai's head in his lap. Observing Kai closer, he saw the chest wound and the perfect hole it made on Kai's flesh. The rest of Kai's body was racked with wounds, but that was to be expected after spending several days in the abbey. Glancing at Tala, Bryan could tell that his captain was barely keeping himself together. He had a death grip on Kai's hand, and he kept whispering softly in Russian to Kai, hoping it would have some affect. Bryan placed a hand on Tala's shoulder, but the other barely moved.

Wanting to stay with Kai, but knowing there were other matters to be handled, Bryan stood up. It was obvious that the only way Kai would live now was if _he _wanted to. No one else could help. There were other matters now that had to be handled, and it was his job to take command.

See, there was an unsaid ranking within the Blitzkrieg Boys. Although they were brothers, each had his own spot that they filled. When Kai was with the team, he would take on being leader. Not because he thought he was best for the job (Heck! He hated it!) but because the others thought he was best. He was a natural leader. When Kai was not with the Blitzkrieg Boys though, Tala was in charge. This was the case most of the time because Kai was always in Japan, and usually it was one of the two who handled situations like these. But right now, neither seemed able to fill their role, and Bryan was third in command. Looking over at Spencer and Ian, he nodded to them, and he could see in their eyes that they understood.

("Grab Voltaire and Boris and tie them up with something. I don't care with what, just get them tied down before they wake up.") Immediately Ian started searching for something to use while Spencer lifted the men into a sitting position. Bryan then turned his attention to the others in the room. He sighed, knowing he did not have much to work with.

"Alright! All of you! We don't have much time, but we need to get out of here," boomed Bryan. His voice was that you-better-listen-to-me-or-else tone. Everyone turned to face him. Everyone except Tala.

Bryan continued on. "There are others in this place too, and we have to get them free. Kon!" Ray was surprised Bryan called him, but raised his head in acknowledgment.

"You can fight right? You think you'd be able to handle some of the guards here?" asked Bryan seriously. Not knowing what he was getting into, Ray hesitantly nodded.

"Okay, you and Bruce come with me. We are going to storm the floors for prisoners. Max, and Tyson, I want you to go with Ian. Use your blades and try to knock out as many security cameras and obstacles as possible. Michael, go with Spencer and watch his back. Judy and Mr. Dickinson, you and Tala try to help Kai as much as possible. I want to get him on something so that we can carry him out of here. Everyone know what they're doing?" Seven pairs of wide eyes were focused on Bryan. Half the room had never heard him speak at all, and the other half was still trying to absorb what he had actually said.

"I know I'm not speaking Russian, people, so what part of hurry don't you understand? Come on, go!"

"You can't possibly have any idea of what you're doing. You are like what, fifteen? One of us should be giving the orders, and I say we all just wait here for now. Moving Kai could be a bad idea, and Boris and Voltaire are right there. We shouldn't act so hastily," suggested Bruce. Bryan's eyebrow twitched slightly, and he grated his teeth together. Just as he was about to lash out though, a soft, but unwavering voice interrupted.

"You should be giving orders?" Everyone turned to face Tala as he let out an empty laugh. The red-haired boy's eyes never left Kai.

"And how do you justify that? You do not know what horrors lie hidden in this place. You don't know the traps and dangers that wait around every corner." Tala's voice never went above a whisper, but it filled the whole room. "You don't know what we know, what Kai knows, and you could never possibly understand it. We grew up here, and that makes us more qualified than you right now." In the blink of an eye, Tala's eyes flashed to Bruce, and they were filled with a whirlwind of emotions. "Think what you want about us, and about this place, but I swear to you that if you don't do as Bryan says right now, so help me I'll murder you and your precious son myself. What gives him, or any other kid the right to a good life when there are others _here _who have to face hell seven days a week. And you would just leave them? Huh?" Tala's speech sent shivers down everyone's spines. No one said anything, but within moments the Bladebreakers were on their feet. It was not long afterwards that they were joined by the others.

"Just take the lead, and we'll follow," said Mr. Dickinson, speaking up for the first time. Bryan nodded, and everyone was soon sent to their jobs. Right before Bryan left for his though, he kneeled next to Tala and Kai again.

"Thanks, Red. Just hang in there. Both of you." He would never be as good as Tala at persuading people. Getting up, he headed out the door with Ray and Bruce following behind.

**

* * *

**

(Kai)

"_Can you believe it, Kai? We finally defeated BEGA," sighed Ray. The two stood outside the destroyed arena, letting the thrill of the win soak in. Everyone had gone and just the two remained, enjoying the calm after the storm._

"_Kai?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Are you going to be staying around?" Kai had been expecting the question, but he still didn't have an answer._

"_The team doesn't need me anymore, Ray. Why would I be welcomed back?" Kai's voice was steady and calm._

"_You've got to be kidding, Kai. We never would've won without you. Of course the team needs you. I thought you would've realized that by now." Ray's voice was filled with disbelief at Kai's words. _

_The two remained silent until finally Ray decided to head back to Tyson's. It wasn't until the neko-jin was out of sight, that Kai spoke the words he hadn't been able to beforehand._

"_Thank you, Ray." _

Kai could feel himself heading towards reality. The darkness seemed to be melting around him. However, there still seemed to be a small barrier left that needed to be broken. A gap between life and wherever the heck he was.

_**Come on, Kai! Keep concentrating! **_

_All Kai could see was flaming, red hair as he was knocked over. With a grunt, he landed on the ground, with Tala sitting on top of him. _

"_Alright, Hiwatari! Where is it?!" _

"_If you want to find out anything, then you're going to have to be more specific," replied the duo-haired teen coolly. In response, Tala gripped Kai's arms tighter._

"_I'm not playing around, where is Wolborg!" Anger poured out of the Wolf wielder._

"_Hmm…Wolborg? I do recall that name from somewhere," said Kai with a grin._

"_STOP PLAYING AROUND!" shouted Tala. Smoke was practically coming out of his ears._

_Kai just rolled his eyes and then looked up with a smirk. _

"_You know, Red, if someone with a camera were to see us in this position, then it would make for some very interesting rumors. Of course after looking at the picture for a minute, people would easily be able to tell that it wasn't what it looked like. You want to know why?" _

_Tala's normally ice blue eyes seemed to have turned red with rage. "Hiwatari, I swear-" His threat was cut off by the teen below him. _

"_It's because people are smart enough to know that if we were in a relationship, you would be the one on the bottom." With one swift movement, Kai sat up and twisted Tala so that their positions were switched. Lying stunned for a minute, Tala's demeanor immediately changed as he let out a howling laugh. Kai just smiled at him, already expecting that the joke was going to make the redhead laugh. _

_Later on that day, the Blitzkrieg Boys surprised Tala with a completely upgraded Wolborg. _

Kai knew he was close. He had a grasp on what he was aiming for, and he knew he was close.

_Feathers the color of rich wine, and eyes as sharp as blades, the majestic Phoenix hovered near Kai. The two moved as one, locked in battle against their opponent. They shared the ecstasy of each successful hit, and felt the pain of each failed block. This was their element-the time when they felt most alive. _

"_Dranzer!"_

Kai's eyes shot open, only to be immediately squeezed shut as he grimaced.

Pain. No. There had to be another word then this. Pain wasn't good enough to describe what he felt right now. Just breathing seemed to be torture worse than anything Boris could've ever done. How was he going to be able to launch Black Dranzer?

"Kai!" The shout rang in his ears, only worsening the pain in his head. Still, he was ecstatic to hear the voice. Tala.

Tala looked down at his friend, whose whole face was contorted in pain. Just a second ago he had sent Judy and Mr. Dickinson to get some blankets. Now, he turns around, and Kai's awake. When he first saw Kai open his eyes, he had been relieved, but now, barely a second later, he almost wished Kai were still in blissful unconsciousness. At least Kai still had some fight left in him. Otherwise, he might not have woken up.

"Tala…" Kai hissed. It took a minute until he was able to continue. "Blade." He grit his teeth together, breathing heavily. His mind faintly registered that the bullet must have hit near his lungs and that was most likely the cause of his breathing trouble.

Tala automatically knew what Kai was talking about. After spending years with each other, the two could practically finish each other's sentences. He looked around, and located Black Dranzer's blade, lying forgotten near the door. Kai had dropped it when he had been hit.

Laying Kai down gently, Tala reached over to grab the small toy. No longer did the blade seem menacing, but instead it felt empty-like a piece of plastic. There was no energy, signaling a beast inside.

For a moment, Tala hesitated whether to give Kai the blade. What if it was Black Dranzer was talking? What if giving Kai the blade meant more destruction or more harm to Kai? However, Tala only contemplated these possibilities for a moment. He looked over at his bleeding, probably dying friend, and realized he didn't really have a choice. It was either allow Kai to die, or give him something that may help him pull through.

He placed the blade right into Kai's hand, and a shiver ran down his spine as he felt how cold the phoenix blader was. It seemed like a bad oxymoron.

"Launcher," panted Kai, bringing Tala out of his thoughts. Within seconds the wolf-blader managed to unhook the launcher from Kai's belt, secure Black Dranzer, and wind up the ripcord. Just going through these routine motions, reminded Tala how much a stupid kid's game had gotten out of control. Placing the launcher in Kai's hand, he knelt down beside his friend, knowing that he couldn't help anymore.

Kai's whole mind was concentrated on nothing but his goal. For now, he was able to push past the pain. It was just barely, but he could handle it for now. He had something to reach for, and as long as he had a purpose, there was still fight left in him.

Feeling the handle of the launcher at his broken fingers, he struggled to get himself into a sitting position Luckily, the wall was behind him for support. Not to mention Tala. Now, all Kai had to do was pull the cord with enough force for the blade to spin. Luckily Kai was right-handed because his left hand was barely able to grip the launcher. At least he could pull the cord like usual. Taking a shaky breath, Kai closed his eyes, thinking about the reason that he was doing this. Then, with the same ferocity he used when he was in perfect condition, Kai yanked on the cord, and the blade flew out in front of him.

"Draaa-nnn-zeeeer!" Kai's eyes snapped open, a fire rekindled within them. The blade landed perfectly, with Black Dranzer flying out as soon as it hit the floor. The creature of darkness then let out a cry that rang throughout the building so that not one person was deaf to the shriek.

The aura around the black phoenix started growing larger and larger. It seemed as if it was going to consume the whole room. Tala's eyes grew wide at the sight, and he wondered exactly what he had just helped Kai release. Immediately, his instinct told him to get out of the room.

Grabbing Kai by the underarms, he lifted his friend up, intent on getting them both out.

"Stop, Tala." Kai's command was enough to make Tala pause. "Just wait. Watch." No longer was Kai's breath shaky. In fact he didn't even seem to need Tala's help to stand. Still, Tala kept a firm grip on Kai, just in case. He would wait like he had said, but if anything happened then they were out of there.

The two looked at the wave of darkness that had developed around Black Dranzer. One of them understanding better than the other. Then, Black Dranzer's own flames started to burn her, consuming her until she was nothing but ashes. She was there, and in a single blaze she was gone.

For a moment that seemed like eternity, the room was dead silent. Kai sunk forward, Tala's arms catching him. His heart jumped as he heard no breath from the teen he was holding. Before he could do anything though, a flash struck right where Black Dranzer had just been. As soon as it hit, Tala heard Kai take a gasping breath. A breath that people normally take after they had nearly drowned. Relief poured over him, thankful that Kai was still living. However, there were other things to think about too. His eyes rested anxiously on the phenomenon that was happening in front of him.

The mass of darkness that had been building up, had split into two as soon as the flash had struck. On one side, it was nothing but darkness, but on the other, the energy was shifting…changing. Then, as if a timer had gone off Black Dranzer burst forth, surrounded by an ebony flames. Opposite her, in all her glory, her sister, the Sacred Phoenix of Fire rose from a sea of crimson blaze. Dranzer was finally reborn.

**

* * *

**

(With Bryan, Bruce, and Ray)

Bruce and Ray followed quickly behind Bryan as he led them to a lower level of the abbey. If Ray's memory served correctly, it was the floor below the one he and the others had been on.

On the way, the three had encountered several guards, but they were easily handled. Bruce, as Ray learned earlier, was very skilled when it came to fighting, and Ray knew various fighting techniques he had learned growing up in his village. As for Bryan, it seemed like nothing could touch him. Before a guard could even blink, Bryan had him down. He didn't even need their help. This made Ray realize just how suited Bryan and the others really were for this sort of thing. He still did not know whether that was a good thing or not.

Reaching their destined level, Bryan stopped at the beginning of a long corridor. Both sides of the long hallway had cells from wall to wall. They were identical to the one Ray had spent the last several days in.

("All of you,") shouted Bryan down the hallway. His voice boomed from wall to wall. ("We are here to set you free. Boris and Voltaire are gone, but we don't have much time before they come back. As soon as we unlock your cell, follow my lead and help out as much as you can.") Bruce and Ray looked at the boy in front of them. They had no clue what he was doing.

"Okay, follow my lead." Bryan's voice dropped to a whisper as he addressed Bruce and Ray. Then, he started toward the first cell. He had stolen the key from Boris's jacket that unlocked every cell in the abbey. Luckily, it was too much of a hassle to have fifty different keys, so there was only one. In one fluid motion, he put in the key, twisted it, and then opened the door.

Curious, Ray and Bruce strained their eyes to see inside the dark cell. Lying a cot in the far corner, was a skeletal figure. Both thought that all that was there was bones; however Bryan soon proved them wrong.

Treading carefully inside, Bryan crouched down next to the figure, whispering to it in what was probably Russian. Then, to their surprise, the figure groaned and stirred. Without a single hesitation, Bryan scooped the figure into his arms and carried him out of the cell.

Bruce could now clearly see that there was skin still on the bones, and that in fact the person was still alive. His eyes could barely believe the sight though. A boy, no older than eleven, was lying in Bryan's arms, probably an inch away from death. What would've happened if they hadn't come along?

"Kon!" Bryan brought Bruce out of his stupor as he threw a piece of metal at a surprised Ray. "Open the next door." Bryan's voice was stern and even. Bruce noted how he didn't even seem remotely surprised at what was going on.

Obeying Bryan's command, Ray unlocked the next cell and threw open the door. Because he had been expecting a similar sight to the last cell, Ray nearly fell over when a body jumped out.

("Finally!") the body yelled. It was a boy that looked around the age of fourteen. He had dirt stained brown hair, and was about the height of Ian. Taking a glance at his saviors, a smile appeared on his face. ("I knew this wasn't a test. And by how you all look, I can tell you aren't Biovolt.").

"What's he saying?" asked Bruce. He looked to Bryan, but his answer came from below him.

"You speak English? Well, you didn't look Russian. Japanese maybe? Except of course for him." He nodded towards Bryan. The boy paused for a moment, and seemed to study the falcon.

"No way! It really is you! There were rumors saying the Kai Hiwatari was here, but I didn't know that the whole Demolition Boy team**(1)** was. Oh man, now I know that we're going to get out." The boy seemed like a smaller version of Tyson with his optimism. After surveying the boy, Bryan turned away, heading to the next cell. Realizing he had the key, Ray went to unlock the door.

"I wouldn't bother," said the boy. "That's 501. He won't leave." Ignoring the boy, Bryan took a step inside. He found a kid sitting against the wall, staring at nothing. Even as Bryan entered, the kid's eyes didn't move.

"You coming, kid?" asked Bryan. The boy seemed to speak without moving his lips.

("Biovolt will come out supreme. You will rot and suffer.") The words were void of emotion. Not taking a second glance at the kid, Bryan walked out of the boy's cell, leaving the door open but heading for the next one.

"Told you," said the brown-haired boy who was now walking beside Ray.

"He's not coming?" asked Bruce in amazement. Bryan shook his head. "But we can't just leave him." Bryan glanced at Bruce.

"He is dead to the world, and there is nothing we can do. There are many more cells we have to clear, and we can't waste time. Move on." His voice was indifferent, but on the inside it was like he had been hit in the gut. So many boys who were in the abbey turned out like the kid in that cell. Him, or any of the other Blitzkrieg Boys could've easily ended up like that. If only that boy had had friends like he did. Then maybe he would have been coming with him now.

Bryan knew he couldn't think about things like this though. He had to harden his heart because he had to get through these cells before time ran out. There was only so much time before someone would realize Voltaire and Boris weren't in control. When that happened, chaos would definitely ensue. Keeping this in mind, he prepared himself to face a room full of boys who in more ways then one, were just like him.

**

* * *

**

(With Spencer and Michael)

With a surprising amount of ease, both Michael and Spencer had managed to sneak into Boris's office unnoticed. They had only encountered two guards, both of which were now taking a nap in Boris's storage closet. Although he knew no one would dare enter the director of the abbey's office without permission, Spencer didn't want to take any chances and he ordered Michael to lock the door.

Surprisingly, the American blader had obeyed every command Spencer had given. Perhaps he had finally realized this was the Blitzkrieg Boy's home turf.

Boris's office was not unlike any other office. There were file cabinets in the corner, a desk, and a few chairs. The only difference was that various weapons hung from the walls-weapons that Spencer was all too familiar with. Shaking the thought off, Spencer headed over to a large desk that had a computer and papers strewn all over it. Using a stray bag that he found under the desk, Spencer shoved all the papers inside, and then tossed the bag to Michael.

"Shove as many files in here as possible," he ordered Michael, nodding to the filing cabinet. He then set to work, trying to hack Boris's computer. Although he may not look the part, he was the one on the team who took care of all the technical work. They each had their craft. Bryan was the team's medical expert; Tala could take apart, build, and use any weapon known to man; Kai was resourceful and could get out of just about any situation he was put in; and Spencer could hack into any system faster than Emily could start up her laptop. Within minutes he had access to the documents he wanted.

One would think that since Boris had taught him how to hack systems in the first place, that breaching the man's own files would be difficult. But in fact, it was the opposite. Spencer knew exactly how Boris worked, making his codes that much easier to break. Boris may know the Blitzkrieg Boys, but he never counted on the fact that they knew him just as well.

Taking out a blank disc from his back pocket, Spencer inserted it, and began downloading everything. Sitting back, he watched anxiously. They had been waiting for a chance to get a stab at Biovolt. The only downside was that Biovolt had already taken one too many stabs at them.

There were about twenty files in the first two drawers Michael went through. Nothing really drew his attention until he reached the final drawer. Unlike the other two, this one only had about ten files in it. The files were bigger too, with more papers stashed within them. It was the names on the files though that ended up catching his attention.

**Hiwatari, Kai**

**Ivanov, Tala**

**Kuznetsov, Bryan**

**Papov, Ian**

**Petrov, Spencer**

The names were like a ball of yarn that drew a curious cat. Michael wasn't busy thinking about the old saying though that 'curiosity killed the cat'. All he wanted to do, was finally get some answers.

He stuffed the files of the Blitzkrieg Boys into a separate pocket from the others, making a mental note to grab them before the others found them. There were then three other files left in the cabinet that had no label at all. Figuring they must go together, he threw these in with the Blitzkrieg Boys files too. He then zipped up the bag, and looked to see Spencer pulling a disc out of the computer. The boy gave him a look that asked if he was ready. Michael nodded and then heaved the bag over his shoulder. After nearly falling over, he realized that with all the files the bag had to be at least fifty pounds. As if reading Michael's mind, Spencer went to grab for the bag, knowing he'd easily be able to lift it. Being big had its advantages. However, Michael stopped him.

"I've got it. I'm not completely useless you know. I do weight training all the time at home. This can make up for the time I've missed," he explained. Spencer shrugged in a way that said, 'Whatever. They're _your _shoulders,' and then the two headed back the way they had came.

**

* * *

**

(Ian, Max, and Tyson)

"Come on, Keep up!" shouted Ian as he sprinted down another hallway. Behind him, Max and Tyson struggled to match his pace. They had been running up and down hallways for at least a half an hour now, trying to take out security. Any guards they saw, were met with the cold metal of a beyblade, and any cameras around where immediately destroyed. They even started making it into a game, trying to see who could take out the most guards and camera. Right now, the standings were:

Tyson-23

Max-15

Ian- 49

The first hallway they had come to, Max and Tyson were in awe at how Ian's beyblade practically flew over the walls, knocking out the cameras in one shot. Eventually the two caught on, and it surprised Ian at how well their aim actually was.

"Ian, how many more do you think we have to clear?" asked Max. He wanted to do everything he could to help, but man, was he tired. The question brought Ian to a dead halt.

In all truth, they had completed what Bryan had told them to do ten minutes ago, but Ian liked the opportunity of being able to destroy the abbey as much as possible. He had quickly realized that there weren't many guards that worked in this abbey. At least, not nearly as many as the one back in Moscow. Of course, having the two heads of the abbey locked up in the slammer for a while, probably made it difficult to find good help. That would explain why it was so easy to take the guards out.

"I guess we're done now. We should actually head back to Kai and Tala. The others will probably be there soon," said Ian. He looked at the hallway he was in, and tried to get a picture of the abbey in his head. Although he had never been in this particular one before, every Biovolt abbey was laid out in the same manner. He had been told numerous times that it was because everything in Biovolt was supposed to be uniform, but Ian believed that it was because Boris would probably end up getting lost if the building's setup ever changed.

Finally picking out the best path possible in his head, Ian set out into another sprint, with Max and Tyson following close behind.

**

* * *

**

(Kai and Tala)

Immediately after Dranzer was reborn, her attention went solely to her master. Seeing him almost completely lifeless except for a few ragged breaths sent her into a state of urgency.

_**We have to help him now! **_Dranzer knew she couldn't act without the help of her other half. After what had just happened, Black Dranzer and her were now and forever connected.

_**The power surge would kill him! **_Black Dranzer tried to reason with her counterpart.

_**If we don't do something, then he will die anyway!**_ Dranzer had faith that Kai would be able to handle it, and she was willing to risk it. Sensing the fire phoenix's determination, Black Dranzer agreed to help.

Tala watched as the two phoenixes rose from their ashes. It was a miraculous sight. The moment would've been almost magical, had it not been for Kai nearly dying in his arms. Up until this point, Tala had been able to keep up with what was happening around him. And although he has a hunch as to what is happening, the idea seems almost too incredible to wrap one's mind around.

However, he didn't have too much time to think, because within a moment of their rising, both phoenixes took a nose dive towards him, or more specifically, Kai, hitting him directly in the chest. But, instead of going through him like Black Dranzer had done only an hour earlier, they seemed to be absorbed right into his being.

Almost instantly, Kai's body began thrashing, obviously trying to get Dranzer and Black Dranzer out. For a moment, Tala panicked, but then he reminded himself that it was Dranzer, and that she would never harm Kai. Repeatedly telling himself that thought, he stroked Kai's head, trying to get him to calm down. However, the motion went unnoticed by the teen below him.

Kai's mind was a complete mess. No longer could he tell reality from flashbacks and hallucinations. Thoughts, people, life, death-everything was hitting him at once and then disappearing! And the pain, it was unbearable! There was so much burning! Everything was on fire! It was as if the flames were consuming him. No longer did he have any desire to return to the world, all he wanted was to die-to drift away into sweet abyss.

_**You can't think that way, Master Kai. Not after you have made it so far. **_

The voice startled Kai. It stood out from all the other mayhem in his head, and called to him like a flame to a moth. Except this flame was greater than any other.

Dranzer.

Suddenly, almost like a blindfold was removed, he could see her. Not just her, but Black Dranzer too. Seeing the dark phoenix probably should've made him weary, but no longer was their bond strained. It was as if all amends were made. Both Black Dranzer and him were in harmony now, and he felt like a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

_**You did a wonderful job, Master Kai. Thank you. **_Black Danzer's words sealed their newfound connection.

'Now what? I can't do this again. I can't keep fighting.' Despite being overjoyed at his phoenix's return, misery was never far from his mind.

_**Do not worry yourself anymore. You have done enough on your own. Now, we will help. Just rest, Master Kai, and everything will be fine. I promise you. **_

Dranzer's soothing words finally granted Kai the peace he had been longing for, and he fell into a darkness that welcomed him with open arms.

* * *

Yay! I did it!

I just hope this chapter is as good as the others. It was hard getting back into the mood of the story. I know I jumped around a lot, but there were several different events happening at once that I needed to cover. Let me know how I did. Critiques, comments, advice are all welcome.

**(1) **The boys in the abbey don't know that Tala and the others changed their name from the Demolition Boys to the Blitzkrieg Boys. Just wanted to let you know that I didn't write Demolition by accident.

Thanks for reading! Please review!

-FlamingIce94


	24. High Hopes

Hi again!

Thanks so much to: Sholay, CleverPhoenix, Miako6, Rapunzelle, Dragon Reverb, KonohaSinX Flame, FallenHope-Angel, d1bontemp, Ana Caterina, TalaTati19, WindStar, IAteUDogBecauseILikedU, and dragonlilly1993!

I was truly surprised that you guys have not given up on me, and still remembered the story! Thanks so much, and I tried to update quicker than usual just for you! (Well, it's not quick, but at least it wasn't a seven month hiatus ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' thoughts

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

**Warning: **There is some slight sexual insinuations about Boris and Tala in this chapter. It's very small, and probably not even noticeable, but I'm just letting you know.

**Chapter 24: High Hopes**

It was only moments after Kai had stopped thrashing that Mr. Dickinson and Judy returned to the room. Immediately, they were able to tell that something big had happened: the walls were scorched, the floor was covered in ash, and the temperature itself was noticeably higher. However, their main focus right now was helping Kai, and they figured it best not to ask questions.

Spotting Kai in the same position they had seem when they left, their thoughts filled with dread that the teen was running out of time. Mr. Dickinson knelt down beside him, while Judy stood back several feet, as if it were easier to deny the truth if you were farther away from it.

Grasping onto the Kai's hand, Mr. Dickinson silently pleaded that none of this was real. He may have been the oldest one out of everyone, but even he had never seen something like this. Sure, on crime shows and the news, but that was not a part of his life. None of that had had any affect on him. But this…Someone who had been in his office only several weeks earlier was now dying right before him.

A whimper escaped from the man's lips. No tears or cries-just a soft whimper. The sound was enough, however, to shake Tala out of his deep thoughts.

He had taken notice of the two's return, but he was not really paying close attention to their actions. His mind was still replaying the miracle that had just happened in front of him. He realized now though that he was ready to take charge.

Kai's life was in the hands of Dranzer, and that was the best thing that could have happened. Already Dranzer had saved the boy's life. As soon as she entered Kai's body, the bullet wound had immediately sealed up. Tala had rubbed his hand over the spot to make sure he was not seeing things, but the wound was gone, as if nothing had ever happened.

The bullet had been the most life threatening damage Kai had, so Dranzer healing it had spared them some time. Still, the teen had plenty more injuries that if not taken care of soon, could be fatal. Dranzer was not able to heal her master fully, and Tala was highly aware of this. Now, it was his turn to help his friend.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sheets Judy and Mr. Dickinson had brought back. The two had managed to find a couple sheets in a storage bin in the room across the hall. They had gone just where Tala had directed them.

"Hand me those," he demanded. His voice was not cold like Bryan's had been, but it was hard and firm. Desperate to be of some use, Judy scrambled to give Tala the sheets.

"I need you to hold him while I wrap him up. Can you do that?" Tala looked at Mr. Dickinson expectantly. He was not thrilled about trusting anyone but himself with Kai, but he had to have faith in Mr. Dickinson in order to get anything accomplished.

The old man looked shocked for a second, but quickly nodded his head and held out his arms as Tala passed the unconscious teen. It seemed that even before the snow white sheet touched Kai it turned crimson red-a testament to how bloody the teen truly was.

Tala set to work wrapping up several wounds that had been reopened during the Black Dranzer battle. He maneuvered and tied the sheets so professionally that it amazed Mr. Dickinson and Judy who were watching Tala intently. Not once did the red-head flinch or hesitate at the vast amount of blood which covered Kai. He took it all in stride, making the two adults wonder just how normal this was for him.

They were so focused on the teen that they failed to notice Ian, Max, and Tyson entering the room, causing them to jump slightly when Tyson accidentally knocked over a box stacked against the wall. Tala resisted the urge to glare at Mr. Dickinson who had caused Kai to jerk when he jumped, telling himself that the man was still in shock at everything he had seen. Instead, he continued wrapping his friend without breaking motion once.

"Security systems have been terminated on levels one through four, Captain. The labs are the only floor we didn't cover, assuming of course that we are steering clear away from there. We encountered seven guards, each of which is now out of action. I only counted three laser guns. The low number I am sure is due to the fact that this facility is rather new. No alarms were breached and as far as I am aware we were undetected." Ian's voice was trained, like a soldier reporting to his commander the results of a mission. The others in the room gave him a funny look, not expecting such information to come out of the small teen. Tyson and Max had barely taken notice of anything, but all along Ian must have been taking in every detail.

Tala, who had seemed to barely even acknowledge the other then asked, "How many exits?"

"Two. One on the north side and one on the east side. Unless of course you count the vent we came through. We are closest to the north exit." His response was automatic.

Tala nodded, this time keeping quiet. Ian, who had been standing straight and tall while speaking, visibly relaxed and walked over towards Tala. The military aura around him vanished.

"How is he?" He voiced the question that had been on everyone's mind.

"He'll live…for now at least." Tala's answer, although nothing to rejoice about, brought relief to everyone in the room. Just then, Michael and Spencer arrived back, Michael lugging a bulging bag on his back.

Just as Ian had before him, Spencer gave his captain a full report, his voice just as practiced as Ian's had been. The only difference being that he spoke in Russian, leaving the others clueless to what he was saying. As soon as Tala nodded, just like with Ian, Spencer relaxed his stance.

By this time, Tala had finished tying his make-shift bandage and was taking Kai from Mr. Dickinson. At this point the man simply obeyed orders without question.

Tala stood up slowly, making sure not to move Kai too much. Then, without even being asked to Spencer took the phoenix blader from Tala, carrying him bridal style.

"Steer clear of his back. It's a complete mess," instructed Tala. Spencer just nodded, securing his grip under Kai's knees and neck.

Tyson and Max watched the exchange solemnly. They knew why his back was a mess. It was their doing after all. And Tala's notice of it had just confirmed that the punishment they saw had been real. Everything in this nightmare had been real.

Surely this was not their strong and confident captain who was being treated as if he were a china doll. This boy in front of them whose whole body was limp could not be the powerful drill sergeant who worked them all to death. This lifeless body could not be Kai Hiwatari.

But it was.

The simple thought made them both want to breakdown right then and there, but both knew that would only cause further problems. Their captain had done so much for them already, and now they had to be strong for him.

Now without the weight of his friend added, Tala stood straight and tall, demanding everyone's attention.

"We need to make it back to the jet before nightfall. Spencer, you lead and I want Ian to bring up the back. The rest of you stay in between them. Do not stray away and keep up as fast as you can. If you pass a guard, then deal with him and keep going. Got it?" Tala looked at each person individually, but it was the person he missed that spoke up. The voice itself being enough to instill a murderous desire within the wolf-wielder.

"I have a question, Captain Tala. What happens when your plan fails?" All eyes turned to the director of the abbey who was tied up in the corner of the room. By the slightly dazed look in his eyes it was clear that he had just woken up, but it was also apparent that he did not miss a beat.

"I mean, history loves to repeat itself and your plans do always fail," continued Boris. Tala tried to tune out the man's words, but that was something he was never able to accomplish when it came to Boris.

"I believe it was always young Kai who made the successful plans, and he is dying in Petrov's arms as we speak. So, Captain Tala, are you going to rethink your plan. You may have missed something in your calculations. Something that could have been of dire importance. Something that could lead to disaster."

Boris locked his eyes onto Tala's, bearing into his soul. He had always had a special hold over Tala, very similar to the one Voltaire had over Kai. As much as Tala tried ignoring Boris's words, they always had an affect over him, and for a long moment, Tala panicked. Had he missed something? Was he just getting himself and the others into a worse situation? His eyes flickered over to Kai, lying in Spencer's arms.

No. He knew what he was doing. Boris was just playing games - games he had gotten bored with years ago. Boris was at his mercy for the first time ever, and that thought itself gave Tala confidence, bringing a small smirk to the wolf's face.

"Aren't you a hypocrite! You of all people admonishing _me_ about failed plans." Tala started towards the purple-haired man. His steps were slowly menacing. "Let's see, _Director_, how about every World Championship you have lost? Or your countless experiments that have failed? Or how about how your five prized students are going to be the ones to destroy you? I believe your whole life's work has been nothing but failure." Tala's voice brought chills to the others in the room. Something was not right about the way the boy was talking. Still, Boris's cocky sneer never faltered.

"You may think that you have the upper hand here, _Tala_, but who are you fooling? Certainly not me. I know you better than you know yourself. You will always be that scared little boy, trying so hard to please someone. Where in reality, all you are is a liability. Pathetic and worthless."

"Shut Up!" Tala yanked Boris up from the floor and threw him against the wall, holding him there by his collar. Boris had a good four inches on Tala, but the boy had had years of strength training to easily lift the man.

Tyson and Max looked to Mr. Dickinson and Judy, wondering if they should intervene before something happened, but the two adults stood on watching just as perplexed as they were. Turning to Spencer, they saw a grim expression lining the boy's face. Ian too, had a look of dread on his face.

"Oh! Did I upset you, _Tala_?" Boris's voice was arsenic covered honey. "Well, maybe I am being a tad harsh. There is _one _thing you are good for." His eyes were like x-rays as he ran them up and down Tala's body. "But then again, I can find that on any city street corner."

"Errrr!" Tala let out a scream as he slammed Boris against the wall. Being tied up, the man could not do much to protect himself. Tala punched him again and again, and with each strike Tala only felt worse. He could not rid himself of that horrible, disgusting feeling.

"Tala! Stop this now!" It took about seven punches, and for Boris's face to get pretty bloody before Spencer spoke up. At first, it looked as if Tala was not going to listen to Spencer, but after two more solid strikes, Tala ceased. Boris dropped to the floor in an instant. For a man who enjoyed dealing out punches, he was not that good at receiving them.

Tala stood trembling. He was sick of this man. Even after everything he had done to him, Boris still had a grip on Tala. And worst of all, the wretched man knew this too. He knew how to manipulate Tala, even when he was at his mercy.

Taking deep breaths, Tala tried to compose himself.

"Go, Spencer. You only have about two hours before dark and we do not need any other problems added to our load." Tala's words were calculated, controlled. They were void from emotion and reminded Tyson and Max of the way Kai spoke when he was angry or upset.

"Tala, you need to-" Ian spoke up, concern obvious in his voice. However, Tala cut him off before his thoughts could even be known.

"I do not believe I stuttered, Ian. Get going. Now!" Even though Tala's back was turned, Ian and Spencer both nodded and turned to the door. Spencer led, while Ian motioned for the others to follow.

"Is he going to be alright?" Tyson half-whispered the question to Ian as he was shuffled out into the hall.

"Our objective is to get to the plane. That is our only concern at the moment." Tyson noticed how the smaller boy avoided his eyes, the same way he had avoided answering.

Deciding to drop it though, Tyson did as Ian had instructed, and focused on the task at hand.

************************************************************************

Bruce glanced over his shoulder for probably the twentieth time in the last five minutes. He just had to keep checking to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him. Trailing behind him was a line of about a dozen boys, marching in step like they were a part of a parade. Bruce was the leader, Ray supervised the middle, and Bryan was bringing up the end. In the last hour, the three of them had made it through each cell and were now leading the newly freed boys to the top level of the abbey.

They had been lucky so far. They had only encountered about a handful of guards (which did not stand a chance against their small army), and they had encountered no other obstacles. Without Voltaire and Boris running things, the abbey did not seem as much of a threat.

Much to Bruce's surprise, the boys were no trouble either. He expected them to be like a regular group of rowdy boys, but they should be more closely compared to soldiers. They marched orderly in silence, never once asking questions. This only added to the amount of creepiness Bruce felt that radiated from this place.

Each of the boys was different… They were different heights, some older, some younger, some had looks of excitement or hopefulness on their faces, while others' faces were completely blank.

Yet they all were the same…They were all kids, the maximum age being fourteen. They all had dingy, dirty clothes, they were all thin, and each one was pale white.

Rounding them up had been a pretty simple challenge. Bryan was like a mad man, making it to at least four cells a minute. Not once did he hesitate. And as much as he did not want to admit it, the same could not be said for him and Ray. They had encountered more than once a cell that would make their stomachs retch. Whether it being due to the amount of blood, or the horrible smell that the lack of hygienic facilities produced, the two had encountered several unpleasant scenes. However, when that happened Bryan would just push them aside, pick the kid up, and shuffle him into the line.

Sometimes a kid was too weak to walk. Bryan would then find another boy to carry him, or give him to Bruce or Ray. Already the falcon blader was carrying a boy that was probably his height, but that looked like a walking skeleton.

Despite everything that was happening though, it was when a boy refused to go with them that Bruce's heartstrings were pulled at the most. He could not understand why someone would want to stay in a place where they were held like an animal. What thoughts could these boys have that made them so loyal to Biovolt? There had to be a better option then just leaving them behind. Just as Bryan had ordered them to forget the first one that had refused to follow them, they were instructed to do the same with the rest. At first, Bruce could not even stand the notion, but he quickly realized that despite not liking it, it was for the best.

It amazed Bruce how Bryan had taken control of the situation. He knew what to do, and how to do it, and he was great at what he did. Each kid had stared at Bryan at one point or another, looking on in a sense of reverie - like they were in the presence of a god. They listened to him, and they respected him. How the boy had earned such respect was a question that Bruce didn't consider priority at the moment.

The procession continued up the last flight of stairs and was heading down the hallway where Voltaire's office was. Just before they got to the door of the office though, Tala popped out, slamming the door behind him.

A reverberating gasp was heard from behind him. Turning around, Bruce saw each child looking at Tala in a sense of awe.

Not exactly knowing what was going on, he turned back to Tala. The boy's ice blue eyes were carefully surveying the group. He then looked to Bryan.

"This is it?"

"There are several left that are too _difficult_ to bring along," informed Bryan, who seemed to be analyzing Tala carefully. Tala let out a soft curse under his breath.

"Excuse me, Sir, but you're Tala aren't you?" Bruce recognized the boy as the one that had questioned Bryan earlier.

Tala locked eyes onto the boy and nodded. "I am. Why do you ask?"

The boy grinned and rubbed the back of his head very similar to the way Tyson does.

"No reason, Sir. It's just really great to meet you in person, Mr. Tala Sir." Bruce could have sworn he saw a flicker in Tala's emotionless eyes, but it was so quick that he assumed it must have just been the light.

"Tala, how is Kai?" asked Ray, speaking up for the first time in a while. Bruce had noticed that through their entire escapade the boy had barely made a sound.

"You'll have to follow me to find out," said Tala.

Then, without a word more Tala turned around and started down the remainder of the hallway. The line now had a new leader.

************************************************************************

As Michael hiked up _another_ mound of snow, he let a string of curses escape from his lips. He was tired, hungry, freezing, and the bag he was carrying was making a permanent dent in his shoulder. Plus, the wind was starting to get stronger, which caused his hair to fling into his face every few seconds.

Since the group had left the abbey, they had been traipsing uphill in thick snow. It had seemed like an hour since they set out, and everyone was bushed. Well, almost everyone.

Michael did not know how they did it. Spencer was carrying Kai, a dead weight, and his pace never once faltered, and then there was Ian who had snow up to his knees but was still plowing on forward. They both kept the group moving. Spencer giving them a pace to catch up to, and Ian making sure they did not fall behind.

"How much longer do you think?" Tyson asked the question that was on everyone's mind. He was currently supporting Mr. Dickinson, who was leaning against him heavily. The older man had set off determined, but about a half a mile into the hike he had been panting a great deal. Tyson, who surprisingly was having a fairly easy time, had then offered his help, refusing to take no for an answer.

"Not long. The plane is just up ahead," answered Spencer. Sure enough, as soon as the group made it over the mound of snow, the black jet was visible. With new found excitement, the group seemed to pick up pace and were at the jet in no time.

As soon as Spencer entered the jet, the first thing he did was find a safe place for Kai to lie. The boy had been motionless the entire time. The only thing that reassured Spencer that Kai was going to be okay, was the steady heat that was radiating from him. Not feverish heat, but something more than regular body warmth. Spencer knew this was a good sign. Kai and heat always went together, it was when the teen was cold that he needed to worry.

Folding up some arm rests, Spencer laid Kai across two seats, and then covered him with some blankets that were kept behind each seat.

After Tyson had helped Mr. Dickinson into a seat, him and Max immediately rushed over to their friend. They had not been able to get close to him since before the Black Dranzer incident, and they were curious as well as scared about how he was doing.

Max craned his neck over the seat, and examined his captain's face. It was scratched and bruised, but it was not as ghostly white as it had been earlier. Assuming that was a good sign, Max allowed himself some hope that Kai would be alright. Of course, the rest of the boy's body was covered by the blanket, so the majority of his injuries were not visible. Max was sort of thankful for that. Out of sight, out of mind.

Looking up, he observed the other occupants of the jet. Mr. Dickinson was sitting down, taking deep breaths. Max was honestly surprised the older man had made it so far. Heck, even Michael the athlete looked exhausted. The only reason him and Tyson did not have any trouble was because they were so used to Kai's training.

Just another thing they owed Kai for.

The next person Max's eyes landed on was his mom. She was sitting in the cockpit of the jet, probably checking to make sure everything still worked. He had been so preoccupied with everything else that was going on, that he had barely spoken a word to her yet.

Climbing off the seat, Max went over and sat next to her in the co-pilot's seat.

"Hello Maxie, what's up." Judy barely looked up from checking over the equipment. Max knew why too. She was just as freaked as he was. Probably more so because she did not understand why everything happened the way it did. She had not spent that last week, learning the workings of what went on at Biovolt. In fact, Max was not even sure if he understood it yet. But he had a better idea than her.

He watched her turn switches on and then off again. She always did this. Whenever she did not want to think about something, she buried herself in her work to keep her mind busy. That was how she ran away from problems… and how she created more.

A picture of his dad, frustrated and upset, flashed through his mind. Max remembered the irritation in his dad's voice when he had called him to let him know that he was staying with his mom. It was always like that. If he was staying with one, then the other was always unhappy. It was a never ending ping-pong game where Max was the unlucky ball.

Max felt selfish to be thinking about his broken family after witnessing Kai nearly be killed by his. Still, it was hard to look at his mom when he needed to be comforted and all she did was sit there and play with a bunch of gizmos. But that thought was selfish too. She had put herself at risk to come save him, and all he could do was criticize her.

"Umm….I'm sorry for what happened, Mom. Thanks for coming to help us though. That was…it was really brave of you." After everything that had happened, the words sounded simple-childish. He didn't really care though. He wanted things back to the way they were before they had been taken by Biovolt.

Hearing her son's words, Judy stopped what she was doing and turned to Max.

"Now why are you apologizing, Max? And an even better question, why are you thanking me? I would have done this and a whole lot more ten times over just to get you back. Her eyes started filling with tears. "I was so worried about you, Maxie. I missed you."

Max looked at his mother, and any anger he had felt toward her earlier seemed to drain out of him.

"I missed you too, Mom." The two shared an awkward hug, and then both let out a small laugh.

"I guess we're both still trying to work on the mother/son thing, huh?" Judy wiped her eyes.

"Yeah, but believe me when I say we could be a lot wor-" The mother-son moment was interrupted by the sound of pounding on the jet's door. "Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum…bum bum."

Standing up to check it out, he saw Spencer already opening the metal door. Immediately, a snow-covered Bryan burst through the door, with a trail of shivering kids behind him.

"Blankets." was the only word he uttered, but the message was simple. Judy and Max got up from their seats, and along with Ian and Tyson they searched the plane for blankets or any other source of warmth, while Bryan got the boys situated.

"Tala says to load up the plane. We need to leave now," Bryan whispered to Spencer in the middle of the chaos.

"Where is he?"

At that moment, Tala burst through the door with Bruce behind him. Both of them had melting snow in their hair, and their faces were flushed with cold.

"Speak of the devil," chuckled Spencer.

He watched as his captain scanned the scene in front of him, analyzing everyone and everything. Then, he headed right for the cockpit, and Spencer quickly followed behind.

"A blizzard is picking up. We need to leave now or we will be stranded here until it's over. That could take days and we do not have that time," said Tala taking the captain's chair. "You still remember how to do this?" he asked Spencer, who in return gave him a mock-hurt look.

"Please, I could do this in my sleep." replied Spencer sitting down in the co-pilot's seat. "I should be asking you that question."

Tala smirked. "Ha! In your dreams." The two switched on the engines, and the roar of the propellers echoed through the plane. Deciding to have some fun, Tala pulled down the control to the loud-speaker.

"Attention all passengers. Please take a seat and buckle up, your flight is about to begin. Thank you for flying via Blitzkrieg. Enjoy the ride." He clicked off the speaker, and grasped onto the steering handles.

The plane jerked, stopped for a moment, and then began moving forward.

"You only have about five hundred yards of clear space," informed Spencer. Tala barely paid him heed as he turned the plane around to face the open area. Just then, Bruce and Judy burst through the door.

"What in heaven's name are you doing!" cried Judy.

"Eating peanuts. Want some?" Tala's voice was filled with bitter sarcasm. It was obvious the boy was unhappy with being interrupted.

Bruce went to grab Tala, when Bryan maneuvered his way in, and stepped in front of the man.

"What do you think you three are doing! You are fifteen! Who do you think you are to just take a plane and just start flying it! You'll kill us all!" yelled Bruce. Why couldn't these boys just act normal!

Bryan just rolled his eyes.

"First off, only Ian is fifteen. Tala and I are sixteen, and Spencer is seventeen. Now that we have that sorted out, we have every right to fly this plane. We all have had experience with working numerous types of transportations. You are in luck that Spencer and Tala specialize in aircrafts. Now, take a seat," ordered Bryan. He crossed his arms over his chest in a way that said you-better-move-because-I-sure-am-not.

"Please. You have all amazed us over the last few hours, but this is insane. You can't fly this plane! I flew us here, and I can fly us back. Just stop what you are doing and let me take over," begged Judy.

Tala sighed. He was really starting to hate these people. He got the plane into the perfect position, and started applying some speed.

"Have you ever flown in a blizzard before? You can barely see and the turbulence is horrible. I was trained to fly in this kind of weather, and I am therefore the better option. If we do not leave now, then we could be trapped here for days, and we do not have that kind of time. Trust me, okay? I _am_ part cyborg after all. If something goes wrong, I can tap into the system as easily as thinking. Now either sit down and help the others, or Bryan will strap you both down, rather uncomfortably." Tala never took his eyes off the windshield, but Bruce still felt like the boy was looking at him - examining him. Just like it was with Kai. The boy could have his eyes closed, and it still felt like he was watching everything in front of him. Tala was no different.

He wanted to do something. He wanted to stop the catastrophe that was ensured to occur with two teenage boys flying a plane, but after everything he had seen today, he almost felt obligated to trust these boys. He had watched how Bryan had treated every boy with care as he collected them through the abbey. He saw how Tala shielded and carried the weaker boys up the wind-chilling hills. They were too confident, and they had too much at stake to be risking. They would not just through everyone's lives away. That was the only reason why he left the cockpit and took a seat outside next to his son. He watched Judy, unwillingly do the same.

"Are they really flying the plane, Dad?" asked Tyson in horror.

Bruce looked around the plane and nodded. He saw the eleven boys they had picked up from the abbey. All of them in individual seats, but still huddled together for warmth. Those that were stronger held the weaker ones, and Ray and Mr. Dickinson sat amongst them, securing blankets around them.

He watched Ian push a strand of hair out of Kai's face. The younger boy had yet to leave his side since they had arrived.

And finally, he saw Judy across from him grip Max's hand, and closing her eyes she whispered what appeared to be words of comfort into his ear.

As the plane started to pick up speed, Bruce mirrored her actions, and grasped Tyson's hand.

"It will be alright, Ty. We can trust them." He leaned back in his seat, and repeated the words in his mind over and over again, until they began to resemble the sound of a prayer.

* * *

Yay! I am personally proud of myself for getting this chapter up. I was worried that with school starting it would be a while, but somehow I was able to find the time.

I apologize for how boring this chapter might of seemed. It was sort of a fill in I needed to get everyone out of Biovolt. I promise that the next chapter will have a lot more Kai in it. I missed writing about him too much.

I am not sure when the next update will be, but I will try to get it up as soon as possible. However, I cannot make any promises sooner than November. Thank you again for sticking with this story. Hope you enjoyed, and please review! They help to remind me that I need to spend more time working on this.

Until next time!

-FlamingIce94


	25. Holding On

Hi guys! (Looks around to see if anyone familiar is still around):{

Well, like they say, third times a charm. I have gone to upload this chapter two other times and each time my computer has crashed and 'pff'! no more chapter.

So sorry for the inexcusably late update.

Thanks to Rapunzelle, CleverPhoenix, Smiffyizdabest, vlissan, ari dark princess, , Dragon Reverb, Ana Caterina, Lhune, phoenix80, d1bontemp, sasukechica, jin-sparks, betweenlife, FallenHope-Angel, Mashy-Gaara4life, Phoenixfyre101, and PWN3D. I love getting reviews from you guys, and I am indebted to your support.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' thoughts

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

**Chapter 25: Holding On**

("Wait! What are you doing! You can't just take him! Let me come!")

("Sir, please keep away. We will do all we can.")

("No! Wait!") Tala lunged forward, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist. Within a flash he shoved Bruce away but by then the doctors and nurses were gone through the door. Kai was gone through the door.

He turned on Bruce.

"How dare you stop me! What's your problem! I need to be in there with him!" Tala's voice boomed through the ER waiting room. Currently only Bruce, Spencer, and him were in there, but he was making enough noise to draw a few glares from the receptionist.

"Calm down, Tala. There's nothing you could do in there anyway. We got Kai here, and that's all that matters." Bruce tried to calm the boy. His behavior was irrational. The entire trip he had acted with an even head, but as soon as they reached the hospital-the safest place they had been in the last few days-he had started shouting in Russian and seemingly lost it.

"No it's not all that matters! You say this is the best place for him, but I'll tell you something I've learned from experience. The body may carry the scars, but it's the mind where you need to worry about healing them." He sighed and then whispered to himself, "I should've never agreed to this."

Spencer placed a hand on Tala's shoulder, but his hand was swatted away as the younger teen walked over to a chair and fell into it.

Sighing, Spencer looked at the ceiling. "I'm going for a walk."

With that the teen went out the door, leaving Bruce, Tala, and the receptionist alone.

For the first time in the last week, Bruce studied the teen that sat before him closely.

The boy's face was blank, but there were slight signs of fatigue in the way the boy moved. _Slight_, being the key word.

'This boy can cover up his feelings just as much as Kai can,' thought Bruce with slight irritation.

The boy's white clothes were visibly dirty, and his hair was drooping from its usual height. He sat motionless, legs crossed, leaning back in the chair. Bruce wondered exactly who was more of a mystery: Tala or Kai.

The flight from Biovolt had been short. Much shorter than the flight from Japan had taken. And to Bruce's utter amazement, the two boys had managed to land everyone safely-at Voltaire's mansion in Moscow nonetheless. The billionaire owned a private plane himself, with a landing strip that served as a perfect welcoming mat.

Immediately upon landing, the major concern was getting Kai to a hospital; however, surprisingly enough Tala had been the one reluctant to get him to one. Bruce didn't understand the boy. Why would someone go to so much trouble trying to save someone, only to go and not give them help when it's available?

Anyways, because of the direness of the situation, Tala, Spencer, and him had gone along ahead with Kai, while the Bladebreakers and the others agreed to come as soon as they could catch up. A small car with only three people goes a lot faster than a bus with a dozen.

Walking over, Bruce took a seat next to Tala, ignoring how the other seemed to shift away slightly, and the two sat in silence until the Bladebreakers arrived. Which, surprisingly enough, was not a long wait.

"Dad! Dad! Dad!" shouted Tyson, sprinting through the doors and nearly falling on his face on the sleek tile that was currently adorning a 'wet floor' sign. "How is he? Is Kai ok? What's happening?" His voice was anxious with worry.

Looking over his son's shoulder, he could see that the others weren't far behind. Judy watched over Max and Michael, while Mr. Dickinson walked in step beside Ray. For the first time, Bruce realized that they had done it. They were all here and safe again. Except for…

"It's too early to know anything. They just took him in a few moments ago," Bruce informed. "But we need to get you all checked out as well, so don't get too comfortable around here."

"But dad, why? We're fine." Tyson's voice dropped, "Thanks to Kai that is."

Bruce watched as his son stared at the ground, and for a selfish second Bruce hated Kai for putting his son through this. However, that barely lasted because he didn't know the whole story yet, and he knew he couldn't blame the teen…yet that is. He was going to have to have a talk with Tyson later.

"Still, it is probably best just to make sure." He ruffled his son's hair, glad to have him back with him.

* * *

As Bruce was talking with Tyson, Ian made his way into the waiting room unnoticed. Spotting Tala, he went over to his captain who sat staring into space.

("Tala?") Ian watched the red-head blink, but his position didn't move.

("Did you get everything taken care of?") Tala's voice was tired. It was barely noticeable, but Ian had spent enough time with the teen to know how he was feeling. It wasn't physical exhaustion either.

("Yeah. I made the call tipping the authorities off about where Voltaire and Boris were. The guy didn't believe me at first, but Bryan was able to do some pretty good convincing. I'd say they'll probably be back behind bars by mid-day tomorrow.")

In all honesty, Ian believed they should've just taken Boris and Voltaire with them back to Moscow. He had no doubt that they would still be there by the time the authorities got there, Tala was no slacker when it came to securing people, but still, it would've been a lot more satisfying for them to have been the ones to drop the two off at the slammer. But although he wanted it that way, Ian understood why it couldn't be.

First of all, as actively involved as the Blitzkrieg Boys were with trying to bust Biovolt, they didn't want that information going public. Mess with Biovolt, you mess with the allies of Biovolt, meaning you enter of mixing pot of trouble you just don't want to get into. Crime bosses, political ordeals, illegal drug trafficking, etc. They didn't mind dealing with that kind of trouble, they just wanted it to be on their terms. They search for it, instead of it searching for them.

The other reason the two did not come along for the plane ride, was because Ian was sure Tala wouldn't have been able to make it the whole way keeping the two alive. Ian, being the youngest and the one who had spent the least amount of time in the abbey, didn't fully understand it, but Boris had something over Tala that turned him into a completely different person.

("Bryan is staying with the kids from the abbey. He's giving them the whole 'you're free now' speech. Ask me and I say it's a bad idea leaving him in charge. He'll start a cult with them. You saw him on the plane ride! They practically worshipped him!") Ian tried lightening the mood a little.

("Okay. Make sure he starts setting up some files on them. Names, birthdays, hometowns. I want you to get in contact with any relation they may have. For now, just give them each a room in the mansion. Make sure to secure the restricted areas though.") Tala's voice was blank. Simple commands, with no thought really behind them.  
Ian stared at his boots. ("He'll be okay, Tal. Kai's survived worse than this.")

("I should be in there with him. I promised him I'd be there for him, and I just let them take him.") Ian cringed at the sadness in Tala's voice. The teen was beating himself up right in front of him, and he couldn't do a thing about it. He knew that Tala knew he couldn't have done anything differently, but that didn't matter. Kai and Tala shared a special bond that was almost masochistic. If one was harmed, the other suffered just as much. They were truly brothers in everything but blood. The Blitzkrieg Boys were all family, but those two definitely shared something closer. They had spent more that half their lives together, and they would sacrifice anything for the other.

("You did what's right, Tala. He'll be fine.") Standing up, Ian stretched his back. ("Coffee run. Want some?") Tala nodded, and the diminutive blader was out the door.

* * *

Time taunted him. Each tick of the second-hand on the clock felt like a bite that kept sinking deeper into Tala. It had been hours since Kai had been taken. A visit from Ian, a reappearance of Spencer, coffee from Ian, a phone call from Bryan, and still absolutely nothing! No news, no Kai, _nothing _except for that irritating clock!

Besides the Blitzkrieg Boys, no one had talked to him since Kai was taken. The Brat Pack had all been examined by some doctors, but aside from a few scrapes they were deemed fine.

'They were always fine,' thought Tala sourly.

Mr. Dickinson had suggested the Blitzkrieg Boys be checked out as well, but they had all refused. Considering the circumstances, he didn't push them.

Thankfully enough, the Brat Pack had been silent since they had all settled down. Tyson and Michael were sprawled across chairs asleep, and Max and Ray were less active than if they _had _been asleep. Judy had gone back to the mansion to help Ian set up some rooms, and Mr. Dickinson and Bruce had gone for a walk around the building a while ago. So that left Spencer and him.

Alone.

With that stupid clock!

He watched as the receptionist got up and left her post. _Click. Click. Click. _Each step of her heels echoed the 'tick' of the clock.

"Hey Ray?" The first voice in at least an hour finally droned out two clicks of the clock.

"Hmm? What is it Tyson?" Tala heard the said boy shift, and out of the corner of his eye he saw him get up to sit across from Ray and Max. Michael remained prostrate on the chair.

"Umm…What are we going to tell Dad and Mr. D? I mean about Kai. They are going to eventually ask about what happened while we were gone, so…" he trailed off. His voice was hesitant, not holding that usual confidence that resounded with each word.

'That's what the abbey does to you,' thought Tala cynically.

"I don't know, Ty. I want to tell then so they can help him, but there must've been a reason he kept us from knowing," reasoned Max.

"This is Kai we're talking about though! He doesn't need a reason to keep things from us, he just does!" _Tick. Tick. Tick._

"Tyson, it's Kai's business and not ours to tell. We have to respect that," said Ray. _Tick. Tick. Tick._

"If we don't confront him though, then he's just going to go back to shutting us out again." _Tick._

"No. We won't let that happen. We'll talk to him about it, we just have to wait until he's feeling better."

_Tick. Tick. Tick. _Tala had had enough!

Quicker than lightening he launched Wolborg, shattering the time device. Springs and knobs fell to the floor, and if possible the room got even more silent. The Bladebreakers looked up in surprise at Tala, and even Michael stirred from his nap.

Summoning Wolborg back, Tala caught his blade, never once getting up from his chair.

With an amused look on his face, Spencer raised an eyebrow at his captain.

"Some things just don't know when to keep quiet," was Tala's simple response, loud enough for the Bladebreakers to hear.

Looking nervously at one another, the four bladers sent each other a look, questioning exactly what they should do.

* * *

When the doctor finally came into the waiting room, everyone held their breath. Mr. Dickinson and Bruce had come back from their walk and now everyone was on the edge of their seat awaiting some sort of news.

"Are you all here for Mr. Hiwatari?" asked the doctor in broken English.

Mr. Dickinson stepped forward cautiously. "Yes. How is he?" The doctor looked around at the group as if questioning whether he should inform the entire room about the boy's condition.

"We're going to have to tell them everything anyway, might as well tell us all now so we don't have to re-explain everything," said Bruce, catching on to the doctor's hesitancy. Nodding, the doctor glanced down at his clipboard.

"Well, I'm not going to sugar-coat it. Mr. Hiwatari is pretty bad condition. The most critical damage was some damage to the lungs. It was rather unusual actually. The tissue was slightly damaged, but we couldn't locate the cause of it."

'Thanks to Dranzer and Black Dranzer you won't find the cause of it either,' thought Tala.

The doctor continued on. "He has lacerations covering his back and shoulders. His back was in the worst condition. It was cut up, and in the worst sort of way too. It looks as if someone had intentionally spent time carving out designs and names on his back. One of the gashes was infected, so he's running a fever now, but we have some IVs in him so it should not be too much of a problem. He has deep gashes across his stomach that required some stitches and he lost an awful lot of blood from that area, so he's also hooked up to some blood IVs, as well a drip for nutrients. We found him to be considerably underweight."

"His right wrist has third degree burns, and there was some sort of silver band on it that we were able to remove. From what we've been able to decipher, the band sends out an electrical shock when activated, causing the burns. His left hand is completely broken, and his whole body is badly bruised." The doctor took a deep breath and allowed his words to sink in. Then, as if feeling obligated to do so, he tried offering some advice.

"This boy seems like he went through hell and back. He's going to need support while his body heals. The good news is that he isn't in any life-threatening danger, and he should recover."

'Yeah,' thought Tala spitefully, 'That makes everything better.' His hand was balled into a fist.

The Bladebreakers had stood up when the doctor had entered the room, but now Tyson and Max fell into their chairs dejectedly.

They had all seen what happened to Kai, and they knew it was not good. Still, to have everything listed off like that…just one thing wrong after another, they could hardly comprehend that. To know that someone so strong was that broken…but they didn't dare think of it.

"Do you know when we would be able to see him?" asked Bruce, being the first to be able to say anything.

"He's in relatively stable condition now, but I'm afraid I can only allow family members in," said the doctor.

The Bladebreakers looked to Mr. Dickinson not knowing what to do. No one really had custody over Kai. Mr. Dickinson had had release over him for the tournaments, but those documents hardly applied now. Technically, Kai had just been drifting along with the Bladebreakers for the past few months. No one had really taken the time to work out custody affairs.

As far as family went, the only family of Kai's they knew about was the man who had put him in the hospital in the first place. Irony was the toy of life.

"We're his family." The heads of everyone in the room shot over to Tala, who stood up from his chair along with Spencer. "We're his brothers."

The doctor looked at Bruce and Mr. Dickinson as if to verify this. Although Bruce was ready to prove the boys wrong, a nod of the head from Mr. Dickinson silenced him.

"Yes, they should go. In fact, we are all his family. The only one he has."

The doctor looked at the man. He didn't understand the situation of this boy. He would normally need some sort of documentation to prove relation, but he figured the boy would need people to look after him. These people had been here since he was brought in, and he wasn't going to bring anymore distress to what they were probably already feeling.

"Very well then, but I can only admit three at a time." Tala and Spencer immediately began walking forward, and Bruce nodded to Mr. Dickinson, signaling the man to go ahead.

Following behind the doctor, the three took an elevator up a few floors and made it to a bleak looking hallway.  
"Here you are, room 314. I'll give you some time." And with that, the doctor left the trio to themselves.

Mr. Dickinson was hesitant about entering the room, afraid of what he'd find. However, Tala had been impatient since the moment they took Kai away, and he didn't waste a second pushing open the door.

The sight that greeted the three was heart-rending, but only one of them visibly flinched.

Kai lay motionless on the hospital bed. So motionless, that if it was not for his heavy breathing the teen could have been mistaken for dead.

Bandages covered the side of his face and both of his arms. Most likely the wrappings covered his whole torso, but a hospital gown hid them from view. A cast encased his left hand, and a series of drips were attached to his right hand.

The teen was deathly pale, and with all the white around him, his markings and hair stood out blatantly.

Tala immediately went over to his friend's side, with Spencer faithfully behind. Mr. Dickinson stood in the doorway, frozen to the spot.

"Kai," Tala spoke softly, trying to get a response out of the teen. "Kai you're going to be okay. I'm here now. Spencer is too. We are here to help." Being extremely careful, Tala brushed the top of Kai's hand, resting it on top of the cast.

He heard the door to the room open and shut, and when he looked back, Mr. Dickinson was gone.

* * *

Once Tala, Spencer, and Mr. Dickinson had left the room, Bruce had immediately turned to Tyson and the others. It was the first time he got to talk to them without a Blitzkrieg Boy in the room. Not that it made a difference, but what he wanted to talk about probably wasn't the best to mention in front of the Russians.

"So," he said sitting down next to his son. "Do you guys want to fill me in on what happened?" The three boys looked down at the ground, reluctant to say anything.

"You guys were gone almost a week. What did Boris and Voltaire do to you?" Still there was no response.

"Listen, guys, I know it's probably difficult, but its best to talk about it. We need to know what happened exactly. Then we can get through this together." When he saw that no one was going to volunteer anything, Bruce changed his approach.

"Alright, so what happened with Kai then? What was that whole thing that went on with Black Dranzer?" Glancing at Ray for approval, Tyson decided to let his dad in on _that_ bit of information.

"It's…It was the same thing that happened in the Russian World Championship. At least that's what we were able to guess. Black Dranzer manipulated Kai, and was able to control him…but he was able to break free." Bruce nodded, glad to have gotten some answer out of them. Although, he wasn't exactly sure their assumption was right. Either that, or they were not telling him something.

After studying bit-beasts for years, Bruce understood them better than most people. And he had seen the Russian World Championship too. There was something different this time than before. Last time, Kai had wanted to cooperate with the power of Black Dranzer, but this time the boy was completely reluctant. So what had made him use the blade in the first place?

Moseying over to the group, Michael came over munching on a candy bar he got from a vending machine.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing, just trying to get some answers about Biovolt. Maybe you could help," replied Bruce. "So where did they keep you guys the whole time you were there? Did they feed you?"

This time it was Ray who answered.

"Those cells we found the boys in, we were kept in one of them." Then with uncertainty he added. "Yeah… they fed us."

"Hardly!" said Michael. "They poisoned half of it! If it wasn't for Hiwatari, two of us might of bit the dust. And those cells, I felt like I was in some sort of sixteenth century dungeon." Ray gave a pointed look at Michael, but the boy was too busy eating to notice.

"Poisoned? So they tried to kill you?!" Bruce's voice rose with anger. "What else did they do to you!"

"I told you, Dad, thanks to Kai they didn't lay a finger on us. We're fine." Tyson looked at his Dad, silently begging him not to push any farther.

"When you say 'thanks to Kai', what do you mean? What did he do?"

"Let's just say Hiwatari and his grandfather need some serious family counseling. Either that or some anger management classes," supplied Michael. Then seeing the questioning look from Bruce, he decided to elaborate.

"Oh come on, you've been studying bit-beasts for what, like the last ten years." His voice then turned solemn. "You can't honestly believe Hiwatari got all his injuries from that beybattle with Tala. The only thing he got from that were probably those gashes on his stomach. Those two creeps did the rest of it." Then, losing his appetite he tossed his food into a bin behind him.

Bruce looked at the American-blader in partial shock. He couldn't believe what Michael was saying, yet it was like he had known it all along. Everything else Voltaire did was corrupt, why should this surprise him?

He knew why, because the thought of a punk-kid like Kai being subjected to something like that…it just didn't fit.

"Bruce," started Ray, "This isn't ours to tell. Please don't push it. This is Kai's business, and we don't want to betray the trust we just finished building up."

Bruce looked at the neko-jin and saw how much he was torn by this.

"By telling me, it will help me to help him. You're not betraying him, that kid needs people to be involved in his life," reasoned Bruce.

"Maybe, but I will wait until he's ready to share it." With that, Ray stood up, and walked away. Turning into a hallway, he ran almost smack-dab into Mr. Dickinson.

"Well, how is he?" asked Ray, not really wanting to know the truth.

"Umm…Well Ray," the man's voice shook slightly. "Why don't you go up and see Kai yourself. If you're ready that is."

Without a second thought Ray nodded, got Kai's room number, and then hurried down the hall, the way Mr. Dickinson had just came.

When Mr. Dickinson entered the ER lobby again, the boys immediately jumped up from what looked like a conversation they had been having with Bruce. They asked the same thing Ray did, but Mr. Dickinson ignored them.

"Bruce, can I speak with you?" The younger man nodded and got up, leaving the three others to wait anxiously for some news.

The two men made their way through the hospital, and ended up at the cafeteria. Finding a seat, they both sat down.

"I couldn't do it…" started Mr. Dickinson with remorse. "I couldn't look at that strong boy, while he lay there like that. Especially when I could've done something to prevent it."  
Bruce stared at the man. Not wanting the BBA chairman to wallow in his thoughts, he tried to change the subject.

"Mr. Dickinson, is there someone we can call for Kai? The boy must have some relation other than Voltaire?" Before he was even done speaking though, Mr. Dickinson had started shaking his head.

"No. The boy has no one. I've known the Hiwataris for years now, almost decades. The only two left are Voltaire and Kai. Voltaire…did have a son, Kai's father, but him and his wife died in a house fire when Kai was little."

Bruce, who had been playing with a sugar packet, looked up at this piece of information.

"His parents died?" he asked in disbelief. "But he never¾"

"Said anything?" finished Mr. Dickinson. "Yes I know. As you may have noticed the boy doesn't like talking much about his private life. Most people assume that with all of the time and responsibility it takes to run Hiwatari Enterprises, his parents are just always busy. Unfortunately that's just not the case. Voltaire is the only family he has left."

" I've been wanting to look into some custody papers for a while now, but after this past world championship work started piling up and I never got around to it. After seeing how Voltaire put Kai at risk like that and endangered so many people…It's best that we take custody completely away from the man." The man looked up at Bruce to see what he thought, but the other was still fiddling with the packet.\

"Mr. Dickinson, do you know what Michael told me? He said that most of Kai's injuries weren't due to the beybattle, but in fact were inflicted by…Voltaire himself."

* * *

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed reading! I know it wasn't the best chapter, but I needed a filler chapter to catch everything up to speed.

I promise Kai will make a conscious reappearance next chapter (mostly because I miss writing about him).

Thanks for reading, please review!

~FlamingIce94


	26. Waking and Waiting

Hi everyone!

Thanks to CleverPhoenix, ghost, PWN3D, Wah-Keetcha, NEVERMORE DARKNESS, Ana Caterina, JT, phoenix80, Ishi x, Miako6, Dragon Reverb, Rapunzelle, vd. alfredo, Elves of the Moon, Mashy-Gaara4life, and marishk91. You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' thoughts

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

* * *

_Last time:_

"_Mr. Dickinson, do you know what Michael told me? He said that most of Kai's injuries weren't due to the beybattle, but in fact were inflicted by…Voltaire himself."_

**Chapter 26: Waking and Waiting**

The BBA chairman peered through his glasses at the younger man across from him. His thick hands grasped at the table's edge and a million and one thoughts ran through his head, all trying to justify that what Bruce had just said was completely ridiculous.

"That's preposterous! Completely impossible!" Then, with a softer tone, "I've known Voltaire half my life, Bruce. I know how carried away he can get with his work, but he's a man of stature. He would never stoop so low as to harm his own grandson."

Bruce looked at the man, urging himself to accept the man's words and move on with his life, but the more he thought about it, the more Mr. Dickinson seemed wrong.

"Stanley, the man's been arrested for inhumane experimentation and for running an operation that puts children's lives at risk. Just look at what he did at the Russian championships, and think back to just yesterday. He put Kai and the rest of us at risk right in front of us. I know you do not want to hear this, but I have been thinking, and it all makes sense." Mr. Dickinson shook his head stubbornly.

"He has made poor choices when it comes to business and science, but the laws are different in Russian than we are used to in Japan. Maybe things just got out of hand. He has always been obsessive, but that doesn't mean he's…"

Bruce closed his eyes and took a breath, wondering why Mr. Dickinson was so adamant about defending this man. Sure they were colleagues at one time, but the more the man tried to justify, the more Bruce became sure that what Michael had said was the truth.

"Listen to me, Stanley. We have talked about Kai's behavior before. We thought it was just some reputation he was trying to keep up, but now I think it's more than that." Pausing for a moment he let the words sink in. Then struck by an epiphany of examples, he leaned in closer to Mr. Dickinson.

"Have you ever tried to touch the boy? Just set a finger on his shoulder or something. Even if you come within a meter's distance he will either glare at you until you back away or move away himself. If he was abused, then of course he's going to be afraid of contact! And didn't you notice the way he shrunk away from Voltaire at the championships? The two definitely do not have a very love-filled relationship." His voice began trailing off as he realized that although this was a magnificent puzzle to solve that did not mean it's solution was something you wanted to know.

"Why are you so sure, Bruce? You were the one always telling me the boy had an attitude problem. Why the sudden change of heart?" Looking at the man right in the eyes, Bruce finally found the answer to what he had been trying to figure out himself for the last few hours.

"Because when he was fighting Tala I saw his mask fall, and those eyes…they are desperately calling out for help."

* * *

"The one thing Spencer hated most about hospitals was the lack of color. White walls, white sheets, white floors-heck, even the smell was white (an over abundance of sanitizers)! The color was bleak and empty, exactly how their situation seemed.

As the tall blonde stared at his friend lying unmoving in the bed, he could barely bring himself to envision Kai ever waking. After everything the teen had gone through, how could they really expect him to ever find the strength to keep fighting? Why would he even want to?

But that was one thing about Kai that Spencer should have known by now: Never count him out.

At first it was just a slight twitch of the finger. Then the hand Tala was holding began moving.

Tala, who had been resting his head on the bed, shot up straight, not daring to breathe. Gently squeezing the bandaged hand in his, he nearly laughed when he felt a slight pressure back.

"Kai? Kai can you hear me?" Spencer went over to stand behind Tala, eager for something to happen.

"Mmhhh." With a groan, Kai's eyes scrunched down, and then shot open, only to be closed a second later due to the bright light. The next few moments he spent blinking, trying to readjust.

As soon as the dark, crimson orbs opened fully though, Kai's breathing and the heart monitor began going sporadic. Tala watched as his friend's eyes darted around the room in fear, and he immediately stuck his head in Kai's line of vision, blocking the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Kai calm down, okay? Listen, to me. I'm here." It took a moment for Tala to force Kai to forget his paranoia and look at him. "I'm here and I'm not leaving you. You are safe, I promise. You are just in hospital. A safe, certified hospital far away from Boris and Voltaire. Now you need to calm down." He spoke slow and steadily for assurance.

Kai closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. It pained Spencer to see how difficult of a task it was for the teen. As for Tala, although he was ecstatic that Kai was actually awake, he knew how critical his condition was and that he had to be ready for anything. He reminded himself of the lung damage Kai was suffering from.

"Is… everyone okay?" The whisper was hoarse, and so soft it was barely above a breath. Whether it was because he found the irony funny or just needed to relieve the tension, Tala let out a loud laugh.

"Same old Kai. Here you are lying in a hospital bed and you're wondering whether everyone else is alright. "

Kai only frowned at the red-head's comment though. He stared guiltily at his best friend.

"My fault." He did not seem to have enough strength to say anything else, but those two words were all Tala needed to understand what Kai meant.

Feeling a strong prickling in his throat, the teen leaned over and as gently as possible enveloped his brother in a hug. Moments later he felt Spencer join the embrace.

"It's never your fault, Kai. Never." Although he knew the words would fall on deaf ears, he yearned for Kai to listen to him this time.

Whenever life went wrong, Kai always blamed himself. In the abbey, if one of them got punished, Kai would always find a way that it was his fault and apologize for weeks afterwards. If their team lost a match, it automatically was because he did not train them enough and failed them as a captain. Whenever Boris and Voltaire gained the upper hand, the teen always believed he was the one to blame. Although arrogantly confident on the outside, Tala knew just how insecure he really is. And for that Tala blamed Voltaire.

Kai had grown up being verbally abused daily by that man. Sure, they had all suffered under Boris, but Voltaire was reserved specifically for Kai. Everyday he would degrade Kai. The worst part about it, was that Kai valued the man's opinion. So of course he believed all that the man said. For years, if Voltaire told Kai he was a "worthless piece of filth", Kai would believe it. It was not until he got out of the abbey and met the Bladebreakers that he actually started believing otherwise. And now here they are, back to square one.

Sitting back up to make sure he was not hurting Kai in any way, he locked eyes with crimson pools, and he knew him and his brothers were going to have a lot of work ahead of them to help rebuild the old Kai.

Hearing footsteps outside, Tala's thoughts were interrupted as he turned around just in time to see Ray opening the door.

Glancing at Kai, he saw alarm flash through his eyes. Spencer must have seen it too, because he immediately rose, blocking the neko-jin's path.

"Get out."

"What? No, I want to see Kai," said Ray, slightly surprised at Spencer's behavior. Of course by now he should have known to expect anything from the Blitzkrieg Boys.

"Kai isn't ready to see anyone," asserted Spencer, using his large body to corner Ray in the door.

"But-"

"Spence, s'okay." The words surprised everyone in the room, but Kai looked steadily at his large friend, showing he meant what he said.

Sighing, Spencer sat himself back into his seat, allowing Ray full view and access of the room.

Tala had to give the boy some credit. Despite the shock Kai's state must have caused, Ray's only reaction was a slight widening of the eyes-a reaction tons better than Mr. Dickinson's.

Glancing back to Kai, Tala saw _his_ eyes were anxious, as if waiting for something. For what, the red-head was unsure.

Because Kai was lying on his back and Ray stayed in the doorway, Kai was not in a position to make eye contact with Ray, and for that Ray was secretly grateful.

"Um…Hey, Kai." He gave a faltering grin. As social and friendly as he was, Ray had no idea what to say to his captain. He was practically shaking with nerves. He didn't want to see Kai like this, but he knew it was something he had to do. He owed it as friend. However, just like that, in a span of about five seconds, everything seemed to fall apart.

As soon as the words left Ray's mouth, Kai had found what he was searching for, and he closed his eyes angrily.

"Finally had it right." He whispered, but the room was quiet enough for the other three to hear.

"For once life was getting better and now it's back to pieces!" His voice rose with each word, and his breathing became rapid. His voice sounded as if it was tearing.

"Kai, shhh. Calm down," attempted Tala.

"Can't go back. 'll never take me back!…Never the same!" Suddenly, the teen went into a coughing attack, and his heart rate went crazy as the teen struggled for air.

"Kai! Kai, listen to me! Breath!" Tala was stroking the teen's forehead, trying anything to calm him. Ray looked on helplessly, unsure of what exactly just happened. Within seconds though he was pushed out of the way as doctors rushed through the door, alerted by the shrieking heart monitor.

Kai's eyes went wild. Still unable to breath, he became panicked upon the sight of the doctors, only making him hyperventilate more. He tried sitting up, only to futilely cause himself more pain.

"Stop it! Back off!" Tala shouted at the doctors, but none of them listened and the wolf was quickly pushed away.

As Tala was thrust aside Kai struggled more to get up, only to be pinned down by the doctors. One of them covered his face with a breathing mask, but it seemed to do little.

"We need to relax him. Get a sedative!" ordered one doctor.

"No!" At the end of his fuse, Tala connected a solid punch right into the jaw of the closest doctor.

Before he even realized what was happening he was grabbed and dragged out of the room by none other than Spencer.

He never saw Kai's terrified eyes as he sat suffocating, watching the doctors bring out a long needle.

He never saw the silent plea on Kai's lips as his skin was pierced by the instrument he was so afraid of.

And he never saw Kai succumb to the sedative, helpless and alone.

He never saw any of it, but he knew that it was happening, just as it had happened so many times before in the abbey. The only difference: he could - no he should have been able to prevent it this time.

Gritting his teeth, anger welled up inside of him, and he turned on Spencer. Completely lost in rage, he began throwing hard punches at the larger teen.

"You traitor! How could you! How could you leave him there when he needed us!" He swung again and again. Spencer dodged most, but a few connected. Stomach, arm, shoulder. Each hit Spencer grimaced, but he didn't stop Tala.

Ray, who had followed the two out of the room, watched on in dismay, unsure of whether to become involved.

"I promised him I'd be there for him! I promised him!" With a sudden quickness, Tala landed a clean punch to his friend's face exactly as he had done inside moments before.

Spencer bit down on his lip and felt blood accumulate inside his mouth. Tala froze.

As if awaking from a trance, his eyes widened in horror at what he had just done. And then, just like that, Tala crumbled.

Whether it was because of the lack of almost three days sleep, or because his emotional state had finally broken, the teen passed out, only to be caught by the same person he had just been beating.

Ray looked on in wonder as Spencer caught Tala, almost as if he had anticipated his fall. Then, scooping him up, Spencer held him bridal-style and started wordlessly down the hall. The blood that was falling from his mouth, dripped rhythmically onto Tala's shirt.

* * *

The hospital lobby was awkwardly silent. There was no other way to describe it. Although Max, Tyson, and Michael (the three most talkative members of the motley crew) sat side by side, none of them could think of anything to talk about. Well, they all knew what they _should_ talk about, but no one really _wanted_ to talk about it.

Finally Michael sat up as if ready to say something important, but all he asked was, "Do either of you know when the next tournament might be?"

"No." answered Max and Tyson simultaneously. Both seemed irritated.

"Do you think it will be teams or singles?" The two looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "I personally hope singles. I love the All Starz and all, but _man_, Emily sure drives me crazy sometimes. Do you know-"

"Just shut up, Michael! What's your problem!?" Tyson sighed in exasperation.

"Excuse me?" asked Michael, as if he were offended by the tone.

"No! We have been excusing you enough! All you have been doing is complaining and looking out for yourself. Michael, our friend is practically dying! Dying because he risked _his_ life to save ours, and all you can talk about is the next tournament? You don't even have the decency to act like you are worried!" Tyson seethed through his teeth, breathing heavily.

"You don't think I'm worried?!" Michael's voice was disbelieving. "Of course I'm worried, you idiot." Then lower, "I'm terrified." His hair fell into his eyes as his head turned towards the ground. "All I ever did was cause trouble for the guy. And then, I go and find out that his life is crap. His grandfather beats him!" He looked back at Max and Tyson helplessly, as if praying for them to deny what he said. Neither did though and Tyson's anger seemed to visibly deflate out of him. "His grandfather beats him," he repeated, as if he could not grasp the idea. "Why? And then, even after everything I pulled he still tried to protect me. I wasn't one of you guys. I wasn't his teammate or someone he should've felt obligated to protect, but he did anyway. Why!" He threw his head into his hands as tears of guilt spilled out of his eyes.

In all honesty, Michael had never felt worse. He could not bare the thought that someone he had been completely horrible to may die before he got the chance to apologize. The worst part? He had only become a bigger pain the last few days because he had become so petrified with the whole situation. He had no idea how to act. He thought he was being brave by remaining nonchalant, but now he could see that he was just being cold and inconsiderate. Funny, that was always how he had thought of Hiwatari. Turns out he had been the villain all along.

For a while, the only sound that filled the lobby were that of a few sniffs. It took a while for Michael to realize though that they didn't just belong to him. Turns out the others needed a good cry as well. So for about twenty minutes the three sat sobbing, letting the horrors of the last few days spill out of them. Finally, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, Tyson stopped himself.

"Sorry I yelled at ya, Bud. Guess the stress has just been a bit thick." Wiping his own face, Michael looked up.

"Nahhh. I'm sorry, Man. I never meant to be such a jerk." The three then ended up in an awkward sort of hug, and when they pulled apart each one felt better. Although the situation wasn't any brighter, it was refreshing to know you weren't the only one going through it. They had been reassured that they had each other.

Then, as if afraid to be caught not acting like big, tough guys, they all began throwing play punches at each other.

"Look, here comes Spencer." Max pointed down the hall. "That means Kai's room is open, right? One of us can visit then. You mind, Tyson?"

"Aww, Max. I've been waiting sooo long though."

"Hey. Who's the cute ginger in Spencer's arms. Does he have a girlfriend?" Michael's question immediately sparked the other two's attention, and they practically dove over each other to look. As the Russian got closer though, it soon became clear exactly who it was in Spencer's arms. At first, Tyson wanted to laugh because Tala was certainly not a girl and the fact that Michael had called him cute was definitely worth some type of blackmail; however, he then became serious and realized there had to be an important reason why Tala was being carried.

Not even glancing at the them, Spencer entered the lobby and laid Tala across one of the couches, crashing in a chair beside him. Then pulling out a slick, black phone he dialed a number, and spoke tiredly in Russian.

The three failed to notice Ray, who had been behind the burly blonde the whole time.

"Hey guys." His greeting was halfhearted.

"Ray! Dude, what happened?" asked Tyson, indicating towards Tala.

"Not exactly sure, actually. I was up in Kai's room and-"

"Is he okay? How does he look?" Max practically bounced out of his seat, making Ray feel worse about the news.

"Well he was awake and talking, but then he started yelling and he couldn't breathe properly so the doctors had to come in and sedate him. I think they stabled him though." Ray looked at the ground as he spoke.

"What was he yelling about?"

Ray bit at his lip. "I'm not completely sure. I think I did something, but all I did was say 'hi', I swear. I don't know why he got so upset." Max noticed that his friend's hands were shaking badly.

"It's okay, Ray. He probably was just out of it. You know, after everything that happened he has to be shaken up." Ray just nodded.

"So what happened to Tala?" asked Tyson again, whispering so Spencer would not hear. The blonde had now put away his phone and was sitting with his eyes closed. However, Tyson had spent enough time with Kai to know that didn't mean he was asleep.

At that question Ray leaned in closer. "When the doctors came in to sedate Kai, Tala went crazy. He punched one of the doctors right in the face!" At that, the others' eyes widened. "So then Spencer pulls him out in the hall and Tala starts screaming at him, punching him and everything! Then, just like that he passes out." Ray sighed and shook his head. "I am so confused right now," he stated. The others nodded. That seemed to be the general feeling when dealing with any of the Russians.

* * *

Well, I know the plot hasn't gone anywhere in a while, but it may take me a few chapters for things to pick up again. Hopefully none of you are getting too bored.

Awww, sweet man-love between Max, Tyson, and Michael. I must admit, I struggled writing Michael as someone with feelings. I don't know why, but he's such a fun bad-guy to write.

Anyways, I'm on spring break now, but sadly that ends in two days. So, as much as I'd like to say I could sneak in another chapter soon, the earliest will most likely be two months. The good news? That's summer break, so I won't have to plan updates around holidays!

I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please drop a review and let me know how I'm doing!

Thanks for reading!

-FlamingIce94


	27. What!

Ciao!

A thousand times thanks to: CleverPhoenix, ghost, PWN3D, Wah-Keetcha, RogueWarrior869, vd. alfredo, Lhune, Mashy-Gaara4life, vlissan, sasukechica, FallenHope-Angel, Smiffyizdabest, mimi007, GatewaysDiary, and marishk91!

I cannot tell you enough how much I appreciate you all sticking with this story despite the horrible amount of time it takes to update! Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooo much!

-Against my better judgment I have added a small OC (you may notice him from earlier). He will not have a big part and probably will hardly show up again after this chapter. Just letting you all know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' thoughts

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

**Chapter 27: What?**

'Thank you, Voltaire.' Bryan never thought those words would cross his mind; however, as he sped down the streets of Moscow in a purring Ferrari, he loved the fact that the man happened to own at least a dozen sports cars. Sports car + stress = speed.

'Nothing can touch me.' The thought caused his mind to sneer at him, 'Yeah right'.

Glancing beside him, he saw his passenger was unfortunately not enjoying the trip as much as him. His eyes continuously jumped back and forth as if he would have to react at any second, and he saw a slight shade of green overtaking his face.

'Of course he won't say anything, though. Opinions lead to punishment. I am sure he has already learned that lesson well.'

His said accompaniment happened to be one of the boys from the abbey. It was the second boy they had found with the bushy, brown hair. Bryan had discovered his name was Markov before being assigned his identification number. The boy had refused to leave Bryan's side since he was freed from his cell, and this was one of the first times he had actually quit talking. Although the kid's voice was getting irritating, Bryan did not want to make the kid _that_ uncomfortable, and he eased up on the gas ever so slightly; however, it was not until they were safely at the hospital that the boy began talking again.

("Thanks so much for taking me with you, Mr. Bryan I have never been to a hospital before one of the other boys told me it is like the abbey, but I know you would not be going if that was true. I can't-") The boy spoke in one, continuously long sentence with no breaths in between. He reminded Bryan of a younger Ian but more respectful.

He ignored the constant prattle and entered into the hospital. Unfortunately, there were heavier subjects on his mind than the boy would probably understand.

It had been only a day since Kai's outburst, but no one had been permitted in to see him since. The Bladebreakers as well as Tala had refused to leave the hospital, and he, Ian, and Spencer were taking shifts. When one wasn't at the hospital, they were back at the mansion trying to organize the boys. Each job was just as tedious as the other.

Entering the hospital waiting room, he quickly surveyed the state of everyone. Tyson and Ray sat across from each other, tossing a crumpled piece of paper back and forth, Bruce seemed engrossed in a magazine, and Tala…he was sitting up straight, staring unblinkingly at the wall.

To anyone else he probably looked to be in deep thought, but Bryan knew what the wolf was up to. Being half-cyborg allowed him to tap into basically any system he could get the code for, and this look was his hacking face. Most likely he was searching the hospital security, trying to get a glance into Kai's room. He knew Tala was suffering big time not being allowed back in.

Bryan mentally sighed. It used to bother him how much Tala worried about Kai. It seemed no matter how close the group of them came, Tala and Kai would always be closer. And that irked him. He had known Tala before Kai even came to the abbey - he had been his original roommate. But once Kai came into the picture, and he was moved to another cell, he felt like he had been replaced and forgotten. Especially after seeing how the two took care of each other. Sure they all became a team, and eventually became so close they were brothers in everything but blood, but he still always felt left out.

It wasn't until they took down Voltaire the first time at the Russian World Championship that his jealously (he'd never admit it, but that is what it was) went away. After his loss to Ray, he had taken a horrible beating from Boris. It probably would have been worse, but Tala had intervened. He agreed to take the remainder of Bryan's punishment, claiming it was his failure as team captain for the team's loss. It was rare for anyone in the abbey to take another's punishment, even Tala and Kai only did it once or twice. This act made Bryan realize that sure, Kai and Tala may be close, but Tala was as close to a brother as he was going to get, and it was just in his nature to worry. No matter how hard it affected the red-head.

("Markov, go sit down and keep quiet. I need to talk with Tala.")

("But can't I meet Tala?") half-begged Markov. Bryan resisted rolling his eyes.

("Let me talk with him first. When I'm done I'll let you meet him.") A grin spread over the boy's face, and he happily pranced over to chair and sat down straight, making sure to behave himself.

Striding over towards Tala, Bryan planted himself in front of his captain.

("I doubt they have cameras in the patients' rooms, Tal. I'm sure it violates some sort of privacy code.")

Tala blinked, then blinked again, and then shook his head and hissed.

("It was worth a try.") Running his fingers through his limp hair, Tala fell back into his chair.

("Not really. Now you'll have a headache the rest of the day. They've been keeping us updated on everything, if something went wrong, we would know. You don't have to break through hospital security,") explained Bryan. Tala looked down at his hands.

("I wasn't thinking something would go wrong, thanks for the thought by the way, I just…I cannot leave him alone. It's the last thing he needs.")

("The last thing he needs is for you to end up in the hospital with him because of a nervous-breakdown,") said Spencer, coming up from behind. He nodded a greeting towards Bryan, who could not help but notice the large, purplish bruise adorning his cheek. Bryan knew better than to comment, especially since Spencer had already informed him on the details of yesterday's fiasco.

("Anyways, I just talked to the doctor and he agreed to allow one of us in, but only if we agree to leave willingly when asked.") Tala jumped up.

(When did you find this out?") he asked excitedly.

("When you were in lock-down mode. I believe I suggested the idea of asking him earlier, but someone said it wasn't worth the effort.") He turned to look pointedly at Tala, but he was already halfway down the hall.

* * *

On the other side of the same room Markov sat still, his eyes plastered on Tala and Bryan talking. That was at least until a paper wad hit him, and his vision became blocked by the form of Tyson jumping up in front of him.

"Hey Dude, sorry about that," he said with one of his cheesy grins. "That's why I beyblade and don't play baseball I guess." The boy looked up at Tyson curiously, recognizing him from the plane ride.

"Hey, you're that boy from the abbey. The one that helped us with the others," said Ray, joining Tyson and taking a seat next to the kid.

Markov nodded. "And you're that cat-boy that helped Mr. Bryan," The boy did not notice Ray's eye twitch at the description as he turned his head to look over at Bruce, "and he helped too."

As if feeling that he was being stared at, Bruce looked up and noticed the newest occupant of the waiting room. Smiling, he too came over. (They were all bored out of their minds and any new person to talk to was inviting).However, the boy looked nervously at Bryan and then seemed to scoot away from them.

"What's wrong?" asked Tyson, noticing the movement.

"It's just that… if Mr. Bryan sees me talking he may not let me meet Tala," explained the boy, earning a small grin from Ray.

"You really think highly of those guys, don't you?"

"Who? The Demolition Boys? Of course! _Everyone _at the abbey does. They are like Gods!" This seemed to spark Bruce's interest.

"Why? Because they were the Russian team? There have been other teams from the abbey before." The boy looked at Bruce as if he had grown an extra head.

"Not because they were the Russian team! Because they…they…they're like heroes!" Markov could not get the words out of his mouth quick enough, and his past worries of being caught by Bryan were forgotten.

"They helped free so many people! And they are like, unbreakable! Take Tala and Kai for instance. Tala was the first boy to EVER stand up to Boris! And no matter what punishment he was given he still kept doing it! I heard that he called Boris a bad name once, and he was whipped for six hours because he refused to take it back! And Kai, he was the first boy to ever actually escape the abbey! That's unheard of! Bryan is so cool too! He's actually punched Boris before! Do you know how suicidal that is? The whole lot of them used to cause trouble just to draw attention away from other boy's about to be punished! That's crazy! Not to mention that they're the reason the original abbey was shut down and Boris and Voltaire were arrested!"

The trio had been listening intensely, but this statement made them begin to question whether the boy was just exaggerating.

"The Demolition Boys didn't shut down the abbey. It was the BBA," explained Tyson. "The Demolition Boys lost the championship."

Ray almost sighed with relief at this logic. _Almost_, because the boy began shaking his head in defiance.

"The Demolition Boy's did not lose. They n_ever_ lost. Failure is death, winning is life," the boy recited, his voice becoming darker. "If there was even the slightest chance of them losing, then they would not have been picked for the top team. Boris doesn't make mistakes. They threw their match at the championship. Everyone knows that."

Tyson's face turned red and he looked ready to argue, but Bruce held up a hand.

"When you say everyone knows, what do you mean?"

Markov began speaking slowly, like talking to a deaf child. "Everyone in the abbey knew it. Even Boris. Just comparing the match to their usual practice showed that they were only at half power. They should have won easily."

"Then why didn't they choose to? Like you said, isn't failure death?" asked Bruce carefully. Tyson gave his dad a look as if begging him not to actually encourage the kid. He couldn't be telling the truth!

"Yes, failure is death, but death was worth the cause. If they had won, Boris would've won too, and his first act would have been to start a war. They knew what they were sacrificing, and that's another reason they're heroes. Luckily, when Kai defected to their team earlier in the championship, he had been able to gather some evidence to bring back to authorities, which was enough to have the place searched. Every boy who has ever been in the abbey owes a lot to them. Even if we weren't all freed, they brought a lot of hope to the place." There was a pause and then…

"I thought I told you to sit quietly. If you have a hearing problem that bad then you must not have been there long." Markov practically jumped out of his skin as Bryan commented. Having moved from earlier, he was now beside Tyson who had a look on his face like, "When did you get there!"

Standing straight up, Markov rushed over to bow low in front of Bryan.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bryan! Please! It's just they didn't know, and I thought they should and…please can I still see Tala?" Bryan kept his eyes closed, making the boy fret even more.

"Maybe if you had not been so busy talking, you would have noticed he left." Immediately Markov began futilely searching the waiting room. "He's not in a talking mood either, kid. Spencer's leaving now though. Just go with him." He nodded towards the burly blonde who stood leaning against the door.

"But Mr. Bryan-"  
"Now!"

Knowing not to disobey, the boy left dejectedly, the whole time glaring at Ray, Tyson and Bruce as if it was their fault.

Once Markov was out the door with Spencer, Bryan stood up slowly, turning his back away from the others.

"Listen. Markov, hasn't been in the abbey longer than a year. Everything he knows is from rumor so do not take any of it for face value." His voice was mechanical.

Although wanting to just accept Bryan's advice, it wasn't right.

"Rumors stem from somewhere, and after the week we've just had he doesn't sound that far off," said Ray.

Bryan sighed, frustrated.

"You can't judge anything after only a week in the abbey. So don't try." He began walking away, but Tyson stopped him.

"Is it true?" he tried to calm his voice because something inside made him worry that it was. "Did you guys throw the Russian Championship?"

This question caused so many thoughts and memories to run through Bryan's mind. That day had been a life-changing rollercoaster, and it would forever remain engraved in his mind. Terrifying because it was the closest he ever came to death, but blissful because it was the day he was finally freed. He thought of his teammate's smiles, and how it felt as if nothing could ever hurt them again.

Inclining his head so Tyson could see the small smirk on his face, he replied, "Funny, I remember winning that championship." Then, not allowing time for another question, he headed towards the cafeteria, in search of a very large coffee.

* * *

Upstairs, the falcon's brother was a bit more solemn.

As Tala opened the door to the room and shut it behind him, he felt as if he could breathe for the first time all day. He didn't have to keep up pretenses for the Bladebreakers, and he could finally stop fretting about not being with Kai. Walking over to the said boy, he sat down in a chair next to the bed.

"You're up." If someone was watching, they would've thought the red-head to be crazy, since Kai lay perfectly sound, as if asleep. But no one was watching, and Tala could see past Kai better than anyone.

"…'s easier if I don't think 'bout where I am. Don't wanna look," was his explanation for his sleep-like state. "Plus…they don bother me." Knowing he was referring to the doctor's, Tala couldn't blame Kai for his plan. Plus, considering Kai's fear of hospitals, the out of sight, out of mind idea seemed pretty solid.

"Where are you hurting the most?"

"Back," Kai answered without a thought.

Tala's eyebrows rose. "Not your chest?"

Kai shook his head. "Dranzers," served as his explanation, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward a little.

Tala was thoroughly surprised. He thought for sure that with the difficulty Kai was having breathing that his chest would be most painful. Then again, he really should stop underestimating bit-beasts.

"Yeah…You're going to have to tell me about that bit-beast fiasco one day. Freakiest thing of my life. And that's saying a lot, all things considered," he smiled, intending it to be a laugh at life, but it was hard to keep an upbeat mood.

"I messed it up with 'em, huh?" Kai asked suddenly. Tala thought over his next words carefully.

"The Bladebreaker's are brats, Kai, you know what we think of them….But…they are also the most naive and caring brats I think we'll ever find. They went through a lot, I'm sure. They'll just need time to accept everything.

"I don't want them to accept it. Want them to stay ignorant. Know too much now. Too much 'bout me," he cringed, as if suppressing thoughts.

"They haven't said anything yet, if that helps. They have refused to tell Bruce and Mr. Dickinson anything without your consent." Kai's eyes flashed open as he looked at Tala with disbelief.

"For some reason, they believe they've earned some trust from you, and they don't want to lose that by betraying your secrets. I believe that's close to how the kitty-cat put it," explained Tala. The room grew silent as Kai thought this over.

"Say that now. They can't keep secrets though. And won't treat me the same. No respect for me." His voice grew defeated, and he seemed to sink back further into the bed.

"I think you have the wrong idea. You protected them. They'll have more respect for you now then ever," reassured Tala.

"No!" Kai breathed deeply. "I earned their respect before separate from Biovolt. Now, they feel obligated, disgusted, and torn."

Tala shook his head. "They still want to be your friends, Kai. But you're right. I don't know how they will act. But you're always welcomed back with us if things don't work out." Kai inclined his head, and guilt washed over him as he heard the offer.

"…'m sorry, Tal," whispered Kai. Looking down at the slate-haired boy, Tala began to stop him before he got into anymore self-blame, but he was silenced when he saw Kai's eyes. Slightly glazed over, they held the utmost regret.

"I n't mean the things I said during battle. Wasn't me…Black Dranzer." His eyes were pleading for forgiveness which was completely unneeded. Tala never blamed Kai, but of course Kai would.

He went to tell him, but Kai cut him off, not finished.

"Something else. Almost broke promise. I almost…gave up. Mama and Papa, talked to me." Tala wasn't sure if Kai was delirious or not. He seemed lucid, but he seemed to be babbling.

"Almost went with 'em and-" he stopped as a coughing attack racked his body. Hoarse and dry, he gasped for air.

"Shh," Tala calmed. "Breathe. Come on, relax."

When he finally did catch his breath, Tala spoke before the other could continue.

"Kai, I forgive you for everything," he said, patting his hand gently. "I know you didn't mean those things, and I can't blame you for almost giving in. I probably would've too. I know you, and you were probably killing yourself to protect that team of yours. So stop beating yourself up. You didn't give up, so stop thinking about it. Plus…I should be the one apologizing."

"Tal no-"

Tala held up his hand.

"It was my fault you got shot. You hesitated because of me and now you can barely speak." Not only that, but I promised to stay with you, and I haven't been able to do that. I'm sorry. I've been a horrible brother." He held his head down, his hair shadowing his eyes.

"Been a great brother," breathed Kai, squeezing Tala's hand so he'd look up. "Stopped me from killing. Were right. I couldn't 've lived with that. And you're 'ere now." Looking up, Tala saw Kai smiling at him. It was a small smile, but it was thankful.

Relief flooding through him, Tala let a single tear slide down his cheek.

"Thank you, Kai."

* * *

Sauntering into the cafeteria, Bryan made directly for the coffee machine. Truth be told the beverage was horrible here, but taste is a small sacrifice for a caffeine buzz. Paying the lady at the counter, he was given a Styrofoam cup, and proceeded over to the machine.

"In other news today, fugitives Voltaire and Boris were apprehended after an anonymous tip off to the police."

Bryan did a flying one-eighty just in time to see mug shots of the Biovolt leaders flashed across the news report on the TV. Coffee forgotten, he moved closer to the set located on a shelf above the tables.

"Police have informed that the two men are now back in custody, and on top of their past charges, they are now under investigation for child abuse and mistreatment as well as illegal drug trafficking and experimentation. With two such influential men back behind bars, this will be a story we will be sure to follow. Back to you." The newswoman's informative voice cut off, and the day's weather filled the screen.

It took until the weather account was over though for Bryan to fully absorb the impact of what he had just heard. Even then, he couldn't comprehend what to feel. Excitement, relief, shock, worry, anger? This is what they wanted but...Clearing his head, he told himself to "do" and not think just yet. Leaving his coffee behind, he departed from the cafeteria, intending to inform the others of the news as quickly as possible.

Once gone, the cafeteria's population fell to three: The woman working at the counter, a man in a wheelchair eating soup, and the chairman of the world's most successful beyblading company.

* * *

Yay! Another chapter finished! Lots of Bryan in that chapter too!

Sorry that the plot has reached the speed equivalency of a sloth, but there were some small points I needed to close and others I needed to set up. Next chapter though, I can promise some confrontations. I also apologize for the shortness. I was going to make it longer, but I figured you would all like a quicker update over a longer chapter. If not, then just let me know.

Thanks so much for reading and I'd love to hear what you thought!

-FlamingIce94

P.S. Have you ever really thought about how weird it is to "eat" soup? It seems like a drinking verb would work better, but maybe I'm just going insane. It's been a loooong night!


	28. Wellbeing vs Friendship

Hi guys!

My gratefulness for this chapter goes to: CleverPhoenix, NEVERMORE DARKNESS, GreyOtakuGirl, pheonix80, d1bontemp, Kavbj, vd. alfredo, Lhune, Mashy-Gaara4life, sasukechica, FallenHope-Angel, mimi007, GatewaysDiary, and marishk91!

I love hearing from all of you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

"…" talking

("…") Russian

'…' thoughts

_Italics _flashback

_**Bold Italics **_Bitbeasts talking

**Note: **Anyone who is looking for an amazing story about the lives of the Blitzkrieg Boys should check out the fic, _On The Three _by WindStar. It is an incredible story, with a whole series to go along with it.

**Chapter 28: Well-being vs. Friendship **

Tala stayed with Kai for several hours after their moment of remorse. Tala did most of the talking for obvious reasons, but the majority of the time the two just enjoyed each other's company, content with the silence. When Tala was finally forced to leave, albeit a bit less forcefully this time, the doctor promised to let him back in first thing in the morning.

As Kai watched the redhead drudgingly exit, the doctor then proceeded into his room, closing the door behind him. Considering feigning sleep again, he sided against it, knowing the man had already seen him awake. He eyed the doctor suspiciously though. His faith in anyone with medical instruments had been shattered a long time ago.

("I just have a few questions for you, Mr. Hiwatari.")

Fixing a glare on the doctor, Kai shifted himself so he was sitting up. He felt a strike of pain shoot through his back, but ignoring it he sat upright for the first time in several days. He was not going to talk to some stranger lying down like a helpless weakling.

He watched as the doctor surveyed his actions.

'At least he's not trying to force me back down like those idiot nurses would have,' he thought to himself.

("First of all, there are no medical files on record for you anywhere. For future reference and to help you best we can now, we need a copy of them. Do you know where we could get one?")

'Yeah, try Voltaire's firepit.'

Forcing his voice to stay strong and clear, he spoke slowly, ("I have no medical records. I do not get sick and therefore have no use for them.") Taking deep breaths, he stared the doctor down as if to challenge his response.

("Medical records do not just concern illnesses. They keep track of your entire medical history. You must have something like that.") The doctor held a clipboard at ready, preparing to write down anything of interest.

("The only thing of the sort you may find…") Stopping for a few breaths, Kai steadied himself. ("are BBA documents. They keep health records of all bladers.") He did not mind giving out this information. His record with the BBA was impeccable. Not so much as a cold would be noted on his file. Hopefully his good health would get him out of here quicker.

The doctor scribbled a few things onto his clipboard, obviously making a note to refer to the BBA.

("Okay, that was an easy one,") said the doctor. ("Now for a bit more difficult one. Can you tell me how you got your injuries?")

Kai froze at the question. He knew it was coming eventually, but this was too soon.

Images of Boris and Voltaire mixed in his mind, becoming demons of pain and fury. Pushing them down, he managed to stay composed.

("They were from a beybattle,") were the only words he managed to get out though.

The doctor looked skeptical.

("A beybattle? Hmm…Okay I'll bite. I have seen those on television and I know they get pretty wild. But that excuse can only account for the cuts and maybe a few of the bruises. I want the truth.")

Kai stayed silent.

("Kai, I am a doctor. My patient's health is my responsibility. Now tell me the truth. Were your injuries inflicted intentionally? Were you abused?")

The words cut like a knife. Plain as day the doctor had said it. The "A-word". A word that can only be associated with humiliation and shame.

"_I'll tell!" shouted a ten year old Kai. "If I tell Mr. Dickinson he will stop you from doing this. He was nicer than you!" _

_Slap! He fell to the floor hard, blood dripping from his already bruising nose._

"_You brat!" shouted Voltaire. "You really think that man will care! No one gives a damn in this world about you but me! You are rubbish, and I still keep you! You think anyone else will want you?" With a kick of his boot, he sent the small boy across the room._

"_And even if you did tell, all it would do is show people how pathetic and worthless you really are. You are nothing! Just filthy and stained with your blood and the blood of all those you hurt!" Voltaire crossed the room, grabbing Kai by his shirt and lifting him off the ground so he could face him. _

"_Go ahead and tell people what I do to you. They'll laugh and have sympathy for _me_ because _I _have to deal with you. I do this to make you stronger. The fact that you cannot take it only proves your weakness. And if you did tell, people would only look at you with disgust. They'd have no respect for you and you're failure to endure would only bring humiliation to the Hiwatari name. No one wants filth, and look at yourself, you are disgusting." Shoving Kai's face towards the mirror, the blue-haired boy saw a demon where his reflection should have been. _

_Coated in blood, the face was swollen, distorted beyond repair. No one would want him. He _was _contaminated, and whether it was because his head had been hit one too many times, all of Voltaire's words seemed to speak the truth. _

_Voltaire dropped him to the ground, done for tonight, but the boy barely moved, sitting in a heap by Voltaire's feet. _

"_Remember this, Kai, if you ever do tell, such shame will be brought upon you that it will be the worst disgrace ever to befall onto the Hiwatari name. I will disown you." _

("Kai, answer my question.") Taken from his reverie by the doctor's words, Kai jumped.

("No one has _ever _laid a hand on me! How dare you ask me such a thing! You don't even know me!") Forgetting to stay calm, his breathing began getting more rapid. ("Get out! Get out of this room! I don't trust you or your stupid hospital so just leave me alone!")

Astounded at the boy's sudden change in attitude the doctor became torn between whether to try to calm the boy or do as he said. Remembering what happened the last time he tried to sedate him though, he chose the latter of the two.

("Okay, Kai, I'm leaving. Just calm down. Breathe.") Then, rechecking to make sure the boy was not in any danger of hyperventilating, he left the room, searching for a nurse who he could use to stay with the boy.

Left alone, Kai fought to control his breathing. Each breath was a short gasp, but he didn't care. Struggling to get to his feet, he blocked out each tremor of pain, the fresh memory serving as an anesthetic. Making his way across his room, he finally ended up at the sink, where he furiously began scrubbing his arms and face. He was dirty, and he needed to get rid of that everlasting feeling.

* * *

"They're in jail! They're in jail!" Although odd lyrics for a happy dance, Tyson and Max bounced around the waiting room excitedly after hearing Mr. Dickinson's news, while Ray watched on in amusement.

The elder man had come to tell Bruce of his findings, but it seemed hard to keep things quiet in such a small area.

"So they are locked up for good now?" asked Bruce.

"That's what the report said. There are still several….investigations happening though. I still can't believe the magnitude of the mess those two men caused." Collapsing on a chair next to his friend, Mr. Dickinson let out a sigh.

"They're in jail! They're in jail!" The two men ignored the younger boys' dance across the room.

"Did they say what they were charged with?" asked Bruce. Mr. Dickinson grimaced.

"Yes. And to my horror I think you may be right. There may be some validity in your theory about Voltaire and Kai's relationship." The old man seemed utterly worn out by this whole ordeal.

"I did not want to be right, Stanley. I'm sorry," said Bruce, putting a comforting hand on the other's shoulder.

"No. It was an old man's blindness that allowed this to go on for so long. I should be apologizing."

The two sat in silence aside from the singing of the boys.

"So now that they are in jail, where will Kai go when he is released?" asked Bruce, the thought popping into his head.

"I have no idea," admitted Mr. Dickinson. "I have custody only during tournaments, and I am afraid I am too old and too busy for anyone to allow me full custody. I will try arranging something, but if it doesn't work out he may have to resort to a foster home." The idea seemed unpleasant to both of the men, lingering in their thoughts like a bad aftertaste.

"They're in jail! They're in jail!"

"Will you two shut up! We can here you from halfway down the hall! " Arriving back at the waiting room with Bryan, Tala barked at the two younger boys.

"But Tala, Voltaire and Boris are in jail! Isn't that great news!" exclaimed Max.

"Yeah. Just peachy!" said Tala in mock-excitement, while Bryan stood next to him looking like he had just swallowed a lemon. The latter had caught up with Tala on his way back from Kai's room, and had wasted no time in telling his captain what he saw on TV. The two were well aware of what was taking place.

"What's wrong with you two?" asked Ray, a bit upset the two weren't a bit more happy with the news. 'Didn't anything ever please these guys?'

"They are going back to jail, that's what's wrong. They should be getting sent straight to the electric chair, but apparently the authorities need more evidence," explained the red-head.

'Whoa,' thought Ray. 'These guys are in this for blood. I hadn't even thought about execution.'

"What's wrong with jail? They will be locked up for good and you won't have to deal with them," said Tyson.

"Gee! Then it will rain candy and rainbows will light up the sky," sneered Bryan. "Where do you think Voltaire and Boris were before all this happened? They _escaped. _And I can promise you that they will do the same thing again. Voltaire practically drives the economy of Russia. It is not hard to find a cop in need of some more money in return for a key or two." As Bryan spoke, the three boys' faces fell. It was unfair! It was unjust! But it was true.

The three became so depressed that they became almost angry the next second when they heard Tala chuckle.

"You just love crushing people's hopes and dreams, don't ya, Bry?" The falcon in reply just gave a toothy grin which resembled more of a grimace.

"Well," said Tala turning back to the Bladebreakers, "Glad we had this chat." And indeed, he did seem to actually be happier than anyone had seen him since the rescue. Of course that had to do with his visit with Kai, but the others did not know that. He went to go sit down, when Ray stopped him in his tracks.

"How aren't you upset?" his voice was dark, his usual cheerfulness sucked out of him. "How can you just smile like that…like nothing is wrong?"

Tension racked the air for a moment as the others waited anxiously for the red-head's answer. But Ray was the only one who heard it. Switching to Mandarin, Tala addressed the neko-jin directly, menace ringing throughout each word.

"You don't think I am upset, kitty-cat? You don't think I'm not furious that the men who ruined my life and the lives of my team always seem to walk away? Let me let you in on a little secret, _Ray,_" his voice fell to a rapid whisper, but the anger was as palpable as if the teen was screaming. "Biovolt has haunted me for the last ten years of my life and I would love nothing better than to destroy anyone or anything that has to do with that place." Tala cocked his head, a painful smile adorning his face.

"We are all trained killers, did you know that? We have been taught how to cause such torture that it would make grown men beg for mercy. If I ever let my guard down enough to show my true anger at this hypocritical world, I would cause such devastation that I'd be the very next soul on that execution list. That is what happened yesterday. I lost my cool, and punched my brother's face in. And he's one of the closest people to me. So believe me when I say it's better for us to shrug it off. After all, Biovolt's been one-uping us our whole lives, why would anything be different this time?"

Ray watched with horror in his eyes as Tala spoke with such emptiness, articulating each word slowly to prove his point. Ray realized that he was truly afraid of the teen, even after everything he had done for him the last few days. Tala must of noticed the fear in his eyes though, because he quickly changed his tone.

"Don't worry, kitty-cat. This is not your world, it's ours. You are merely here until Kai recovers, and then you'll be happily off, back to that life of ignorance in Japan." He gave Ray a pat on the cheek and walked away, causing the teen to jump, almost as if awakened from a spell.

Looking around, he saw Max and Tyson gawking, trying to make some sense of what Tala said, and he spotted Bryan's back, turning the corner with Tala.

"What did he say, Ray?" Still a bit shell-shocked, Ray stared back at Tyson confused.

"Um…he…." Luckily for Ray, he was spared the task of explaining when Kai's doctor entered the waiting room.

"Mr. Dickinson?" The doctor's thick, Russian accent seemed to boom through the room and the two men in the corner as well as the three boys went over, all anxious for any news about their comrade. The doctor gave them all a wary glance, having the intention of only addressing the elder man, but then deemed it futile, considering the boys seemed to be closer with Kai than the man was.

"You three were with Kai when he received his injuries, correct?" asked the doctor, staring at the youngest members of the group.

"Yeah," answered Tyson, becoming suspicious. The doctor shifted awkwardly.

"Then you will know better than anyone that I speak the truth. You may not want to hear this, but it is quite obvious that Kai's state came about from prolonged abuse to his body. Intentional abuse."

The doctor paused to allow the information to set. Then continuing, "In light of the recent media coverage of Voltaire Hiwatari and Boris Balkov's capture, I can easily draw conclusions as to who was the cause of Kai _Hiwatari's _condition."

Mr. Dickinson let out a small gasp, but quickly gestured for the man to go on.

"The well-being of my patients is my utmost concern, and I must ensure that the boy will not end up in the hands of that man again. I would like to submit his injuries and experiences as evidence against Boris Balkov and Voltaire Hiwatari. Such an obvious testimony of their…unthinkable treatment to a minor will surely be enough to keep them away. The problem is, I need permission."

As the doctor finished, Ray almost wished Tala was here so that he could give the doctor the exact same conversation he had given him only moments earlier. This man believed there was a chance Boris and Voltaire would remain in jail too, and that a cell would be enough to keep them away from Kai.

Ray didn't know who's opinion to trust. A doctor with years of schooling, or a teenager who's actions didn't always seem very sane? He wanted to deny it, but in this situation the latter probably was the one that was right. Tala knew Biovolt, this man didn't, and the chances of the two breaking out of prison again were highly probable. Before he could say anything though, Mr. Dickinson cut in.

"Of course. You have my permission to do whatever is in your power to keep those men away from Kai." The doctor stared at the old man in sympathy, obviously sensing the strain he was under.

"That's very kind of you, but I am not talking about your permission. I need Kai's." Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"Then why come to us? The boy is upstairs, isn't he?"  
The doctor nodded rapidly. "Yes he is, but he refuses to tell me anything. He's…he is saying that no one touched him, that his injuries were from one of those beybattles. I have been in this field of work for almost two decades now. I can promise you that a beybattle is not the reason that boy is in a hospital bed right now."

Max, Tyson and Ray all gazed at one another incredulously, each wondering the same thing.

"You are closer with him then me. Will you talk with him? Get him to tell you what happened. Sometimes it is difficult for people who are abused to admit it. Just help him to accept the fact, and try to get his permission to use himself as evidence." Taking a breath, the doctor glanced at each one of the forlorn faces.

"It will be difficult. But I promise that getting him to talk will be the first step to his recovery." As each of the members of the room fully absorbed what the doctor just said, silence one again filled the room.

Surprisingly, it was Max who spoke up first.

"Alright, I'm in. When can we see him?" Tyson and Ray's jaws practically dropped to the ground.

"As soon as you are ready. I will have to ask if he minds visitors first, but if he says no, then you will all be allowed in."

Max nodded. "Just…Can you give us a few minutes, please?" The doctor agreed, apologized for bringing such awful news, and then proceeded back through the hospital hallway.

"Max!" As soon as the doctor left, Tyson turned on his best friend. "What are you thinking? We can't agree to this! Kai's trusting us to keep his secrets, not force them out of him!"

Max shook his head adamantly. "No Tyson! Kai needs our help. He is just too stubborn to admit it. He…" Willing his voice not to crack, the turtle-blader continued, "He wants our help, Ty. I know it. He just doesn't know how to ask for it."

About to retort back, Tyson took a breath, but Ray stopped him. "I think…Max might be right on this one Ty."

Gaping at his friend, Tyson seemed at a loss for words. "But…But you said it yourself, Ray. You were the one that didn't want us to tell in the first place! And you were right, he would never trust us again if we did!"

Ray looked into the garnet eyes across from him. "I don't care about that anymore, Tyson. Kai needs help. He needs to admit this and talk about it. I don't care whether he trusts us again after this, I just want him to be Kai again. If that means risking our friendship then so be it. His well-being is more important."

Ray's solemnity seemed to penetrate everyone in the room, and any spark of an argument against what the doctor had asked of them was quickly extinguished. Ray was absolutely right, and even Tyson agreed Kai's welfare was well worth their friendship. After all he had done for them, it was now their turn to give a little back in return. He just hoped that their confrontation would help Kai, and not add anymore pain to his suffering.

* * *

I just love writing bipolar Tala. It's fun!

Just for the record, I have no idea how the legal system works in Russia. I am completely making it to fit this story, so don't take anything for fact.

Thanks so much for reading and I would love to hear from you in a review!

-FlamingIce94

P.S. Sorry it was so short, but I want the entire next chapter to be dedicated to their confrontation. It should be up soon though because it's already half started. Till then!


	29. Where Were We?

Yay! That was fast! Sadly, this may be the last chapter for a while. School starts, and my free time ends. Most likely the next update will be around Thanksgiving sometime. I hate to say that, but that's worst case scenario. I'll try to get it up faster, though.

Thank you times 1000 to: Dragon Reverb, CleverPhoenix, mashy-Gaara4life, and marishk91 for your wonderful reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Warning: **Major Kai OOCness. I apologize greatly, but it is for the sake of the story.

("…") Russian

_Italics _thoughts

_**Italics**_ Bitbeast's thoughts.

**Chapter 29: Where Were We?**

Red, like his demon eyes which struck fear into so many people.

Raw, like his whole body felt due to his punishments from Voltaire and Boris.

Ugly, like he was. Inside and out.

Kai lay in the hospital bed staring at his hands which had practically been rubbed to the bone in his earlier attempt to "clean" himself. It did nothing really- the logical side of his mind was perfectly intact, and it told him this. But the other side of his mind, the side where he was struggling to find that detachment from life he used to carry, it still needed healing, and it told him he needed cleaned.

Unfortunately, the nurse had found him halfway through and ordered him back to bed. Of course the whole time she spent explaining to him why bandages must stay on broken hands in a sickly, babying-nurse voice, making Kai's hatred for hospitals only increase with each word she spoke.

She left eventually though, leaving him where he was now.

Where was he now?

Everything was so strained. _He_ felt strained. Like if a dust particle so much as fell out of place the whole world might crash in around him.

Each movement and thought required so much effort. He had to force himself to monitor everything he did, just to keep himself from losing it. It was as if he was constantly walking on his tiptoes, trying not to fall into the depths of his mind.

The only time he had ever had felt like this before was…no. He would not go there. He couldn't.

("Kai.") Caught off guard, Kai immediately cursed himself for not realizing someone was in the room with him sooner. _What had they seen? What had he done? _

_Stop. Breathe. Just breathe. It's no big deal_. He calmed himself, keeping his eyes shut in concentration.

("I know you do not want to talk to me right now, but I came to see you about something different,") explained the doctor. ("A few of your friends and that man…Mr. Dickinson?…they have been waiting quite some time to see you, and I just got the authorization to allow it. Would that be okay with you?") He spoke the last few words carefully, hoping not to pressure the teen but to subconsciously urge him to agree.

Kai remained silent, but on the inside he began fighting a war with himself.

On one hand he believed they must hate him for all the trouble he caused. Plus, what could they possibly think about all they saw? And what did they say to Mr. Dickinson? He could not face them!

But on the other hand, Tala had told him about how they had kept his secrets, not wanting to break his trust. And it wasn't as if he could hide from them his entire life. Especially now. If he avoided them, then they would know he was weak and that he was hiding. He could _not _let them think that.

("I will see them,") he said. The doctor nodded, and left the room quickly before the boy could change his mind.

Closing the door, he felt a mix of triumph and sorrow. The boy needed what was going to happen next, but sometimes you have to completely destroy what was left before you can start to rebuild. It was harsh, and it was morbid, but in his mind he believed it was what had to be done.

Making his way downstairs, he found the group awaiting him and swiftly summoned them.

The walk back upstairs was horribly silent, like the calm before the storm. None of them wanted to do this, but they were still all anxious.

When they reached Kai's door, the doctor departed, and the five stood outside, frozen to the spot. Finally, after reminding himself that this was for Kai, Ray pushed on the door, leading the rest of the group inside.

With all the tension that oozed from the opening of the door, it almost seemed anti-climatic for a boy in a hospital bed to be on the other side. However, for this group the sight still made them hold their breaths. Little did they know that Kai was doing the exact same thing.

One by one they entered the room, and Kai eyed each of them, extremely aware how they seemed to be purposely avoiding eye contact. The only person who did meet his gaze was surprisingly Bruce, and as soon as Kai saw him his stare turned into a glare. He had not been told _he _was coming. He agreed to see Mr. Dickinson and his team, not a man who thought he was just some lousy punk. He did not trust the man at all, and considering all that happened, he did not want to deal with people he could not trust.

On the other side of the room, Bruce had to consciously keep himself from shuddering at the death glare Kai was giving him. He supposed he deserved it, but he could not help but wonder how a broken boy in a hospital could make a grown man crumble under his gaze.

The seconds of silence following their entrance seemed unbearable, but luckily for everyone in the room, Tyson's forte was breaking any kind of quiet.

"So Kai, how are you doing, buddy? I mean of course that's probably a stupid question considering…well…you look really good! I mean by the way the doctor made it sound we thought you would be out for a while, but look at you! Sitting up in bed already and no doubt driving the nurses around here insane." He stretched his arm behind his head, giving one of his famous, cheesy grins.

Kai shifted his eyes slowly from the older Granger to the younger one. He was slightly stunned by how Tyson was able to carry on a conversation like his usual annoying self, but that shock was ended quickly once Kai caught a glance into the dragon-wielder's eyes. The garnet orbs were filled with distress and worry, giving away the younger teen's façade.

"He's right, Kai. You look a hundred percent better just from two days ago," agreed Ray. He had been the only one in the group to have spoken with Kai before this, and he as genuinely surprised to see his captain's condition. Sure the bandages were still there, but the bruises were already fading, and the cuts had practically disappeared. Granted, he couldn't see the scars beneath the hospital gown and bed sheets, but it almost appeared as if Kai had been in the hospital for weeks, not days.

"Do you feel better?"

"I feel fine." Almost as soon as the words came out, Kai wished to take them back, realizing he had spoken too fast. He was not the only one in the room to recognize it either, but no one wanted to push just yet.

"Sooooo," Tyson started. "How has the food been? I know it's cafeteria and all but-" Kai listened to the meaningless prattle of the younger teen, wishing deep within him that this was how things were going to be- that everything would return back to normal, and the most stressful part of his day would again be trying to wake up Tyson in time for training. But another look into Tyson's eyes showed that same anguish, and he knew things were ruined beyond repair.

"Tyson." The second Kai spoke his name, Tyson's voice halted, like a trained dog obeying his master.

"Just stop." He closed his eyes, making it easier to mask the swarm of emotions beating through him.

"Your intentions are flattering but completely unnecessary. You all should have gone back to Japan the minute we arrived in Russia." His voice was colder than the snow outside.

"Kai, my boy, we just wanted to make sure you were all right. We _still_ want to make sure you are okay," said Mr. Dickinson, speaking up for the first time in a while.

Now frustrated, Kai's voice became slightly louder but still remained devoid of any emotion.

"I am not a child who needs checking up on. I said I was-"

"Don't you dare say 'fine'!" yelled Max in a sudden paroxysm of anger. "You are the farthest from 'fine' that you can possibly be in the world!"

"Max," warned Ray.

"No! If we are doing this, then I am not waiting any longer! Kai, you were practically killed right in front of our eyes, and you really expect us to believe that you are fine! Why are you constantly lying to us?"

Getting a sense of dé·jà vu, Kai had a feeling of where this was heading and knew he had to end it before it went too far, and that meant doing the unthinkable.

"You want the truth, Max?" Then, bracing himself for the pain he was about to bring upon himself, he stared into his glossy, blue eyes. _Please forgive me._

"I hate all of you. Each one of you is nothing but an irritating brat that I have to force myself to put up with. Don't you get it? I _betrayed_ you at Biovolt. I eagerly was ready to trade my life with you lot, but as usual, you had to go and mess that up. So if you really want to help me, just leave me the hell alone."

He had no idea how he got through that without choking on his own words. He had never told such a huge lie in his life, and with each word he felt like he was cutting himself with a knife. Still, he needed to get rid of them for their own sake. They knew too much, and he would only continue to contaminate them.

The three boys along with Mr. Dickinson looked as if they had been punched in the jaw. Bruce was the only one who did not flinch at the tirade. In fact, he actually seemed more assure of himself.

"That's a funny claim, Kai, because I believe Tyson told me that it was _you_ who protected these boys from Boris and Voltaire. Now why would you protect people that you claim to hate?" Bruce locked onto Kai's face, which twisted into a set frown.

"And if I remember correctly, it was you who was about ready to kill Boris and Voltaire, not join them. So obviously you are lying. The only thing I can't think of is why? Why would you try so hard to push away the people that actually care about you?"

If looks could kill, Bruce would be dead on the spot. Unfortunately for Kai though, his eyes could only convey his murderous intentions, not actually fulfill them.

"I want you out. I do not trust you, and I do not like you. Get out." Kai carefully pronounced each word, grinding out each syllable.  
"You can stop doing this to yourself, Kai. It has to be tearing you apart, this mask you keep putting on. I'll be the first to admit it works, heck, I believed it up until now! But, that's all it is, a mask. You try so hard to pretend like you don't care, but really, you care more than anyone. So why are you hiding it?"

Kai faltered at Bruce's words. Never had someone confronted him like this, and never had anyone been so right. But he could not allow it.

Speaking in a voice of arrogance, Kai smirked demonically at Bruce, hoping to scare him off.

"You are so wrong. I do not care for anyone but myself. That is the only way you can survive through life. I use people, and when they are of no more use to me, I get rid of them. You can even ask your son. He was there when I disposed of the team I was on before the Bladebreakers, (**1) **and I was just about to do the same with this team." _Please believe me. I can't do this much longer! _

But Bruce was not letting up.

"'Live only for yourself'," he quoted. "Did Boris teach you that one, or maybe it was that grandfather of yours, Voltaire?" He took special notice how Kai's eyes flashed at the word 'grandfather'. He could not blame the kid. If he had a relative like that he wouldn't want to be connected to him in any way either. But despite understanding, Bruce knew he could use this against Kai. He hated turning against the kid like this, but the teen was just so stubborn!

However, it was not just Bruce ready to inflict pain. Kai was growing desperate.

"It's common knowledge. You are old enough that you should know that caring for others only leads to pain. I would have thought with your wife being dead and all, you would realize that a lot of the times caring is not worth the pain." _I am so sorry. Why are you making me do this to you? _

Bruce and Tyson both visibly flinched at the comment.

"Kai!" Mr. Dickinson went to reprimand the teen for going so far, but Bruce stopped him. The remark hurt, but it led Bruce right where he wanted to go.

"No, Stanley, he's right. A lot of the time caring does bring pain. You _would_ know that better than anyone, huh, Kai? After all, aren't both your parents dead? Was it then you stopped caring, Kai?" Three heads spun around to stare at Bruce in disbelief. None of the Bladebreakers had been aware of this, all of them having thought that with the Hiwatari company being so large, they just never had time to be around. Meanwhile, Kai felt a chip in his mask fall to the floor, and he grasped at the bed's sheets, trying to control his anger. If it wasn't for the fact that he would be sedated within minutes, he would have leapt at Bruce then and there.

_How dare he bring them up! He knows nothing about it! About how Voltaire…Oh no! Please!_

Kai squeezed his eyes tightly shut to regain composure, but Bruce did not let up for a second.

"Maybe not. You moved in with your grandfather after that, right? You had to have cared for him."

Focusing all his attention on restraining himself from strangling Bruce, Kai let out an involuntary shudder.

_You don't know the half of it. I cared for him so much that I nearly died trying to prove it. But it never mattered! _His mind was screaming at Bruce, but on the outside he remained silent, not trusting his voice.

"Unless of course, he did something that made you stop caring for him. But what was it that he did?" asked Bruce. The implication made Kai look up, and Bruce felt himself gaining momentum.

"Tell me, Kai, why do you pull away from any human contact? Why do you always push people away?"

"Shut up!" Kai ordered.

"Why is your body covered in scars? Why are you in a hospital bed right now after spending just a week in the care of your legal guardian?"

"I said shut up!" Kai began rising from his bed.

"No! Just admit it, Kai!" Bruce began yelling as well, not backing down.

"Admit what?"

"That Voltaire has been abusing you!"

_**Smack!**_

Bruce reeled back as Kai's hand connected with his face. The boy's hand was bandaged enough though, so that it didn't cause too much pain. He assumed it probably hurt Kai more than him.

Wiping his face with his sleeve, he brought himself to full height, standing a good eight inches above the teen.

"How dare you disgrace Voltaire by accusing him of such a thing!" Kai's words shocked the entire room, Kai included. _Why am I still protecting him! He killed them! I hate him! Stop protecting him!_

"Kai!" shouted all three of the other Bladebreakers, completely astonished at his answer.

"How can you deny it?"

"Why are you protecting him?"  
"We watched it happen!" Kai's eyes darted around the room. He suddenly felt like a trapped animal. He tried rewinding the last week in his head to think of a time the Bladebreakers would have actually seen Boris or Voltaire hit him, but as far as he knew they had been locked in that cell the whole time.

"No! You're lying!" he accused. "You were stuck in that cell the whole time. You only saw me when I came back. The blood and cuts…they were from Boris's training. Hardcore beybattles and obstacles." He inwardly cringed at the excuse. He had used it so much, even he was getting sick of it.

"No Kai! You're the one that is lying! Boris…he put us in this room where we could see you but you couldn't see us. We watched as he kicked you, and hit you, and stabbed you." Max's voice broke, unable to even talk about the horrors they had witnessed.

Kai's eyes grew wide at what the boy said. _They saw? No. No they had to be lying! He was so weak then. They would hate him._ He looked wildly around for a way to get away from these people, but with each step he only backed himself farther into a corner.

"Kai, is this true? If it is, then what else would you call how they treated you?" asked Bruce, demanding an answer.

Kai's composure was completely shattered by now, and he began having trouble breathing again. But he had to set them straight and make sure they understood what had happened.

"It was punishment. I disobeyed Boris and was therefore punished for it. I can take it though. I deserve it." _Yes. That's normal isn't it? When a child's bad they are punished. He had been taught that since he was young, so it had to make sense._

Boris noticed how Kai was becoming lost. The boy was no longer calm, and his thoughts seemed to be taking the better of him.

"You deserve it? Why's that, Kai?" Kai's eyes darkened at the question, and his shaking ceased.

"_Because I disobey Voltaire. Because I'm weak. Because I'm…not perfect." _

He slumped to the floor, not realizing he had spoken aloud. For everyone in the room though, it finally began making sense. It was the reason Kai always made sure his shoes were set aside, lined up evenly with one another. It was the reason if his launch was even a centimeter off balance he would force himself to execute fifty more flawless launches. It was the reason he was so hard on himself when he messed up. Kai was obsessed with perfection. It wasn't his fault either. It was Voltaire's.

"Kai, as smart as you are you have to know that no one in the world is perfect," explained Mr. Dickinson gently.

"But I have to be! I'm not like you or them," he shouted, indicating towards his team. "I am worthless and dirty, and the only way to get rid of that is to become perfect. Then…he won't hate me anymore." The last words died into a whisper, but everyone heard them. They all knew who the 'he' was too, and each of them wondered how in the world Kai could still care for such a horrendous human being.

"Kai." Ray looked with glistening eyes at the lost soul in front of him. He had been raised thinking that perfection was the only way to get people to care for you. He had to show him life didn't work that way.

"Please, Kai. Listen to me." He watched as the older boy's eyes flickered over towards him. "Max, Tyson, and I, we are your friends and we care about you. Mr. Dickinson, Bruce, Judy, and so many other people, they care about you too. You are one of the greatest people I know, Kai, and I admire you, we all do. We do not care if you aren't perfect, and I know that the Blitzkrieg Boys feel the same way. Voltaire is wrong, Kai. All he is doing is hurting you, so why do you listen to him?"

Kai shifted, now leaning very heavily against the side of the bed.

"He's all I have." He wondered if his voice was a small as he felt.

With newfound understanding, Ray made his way closer to Kai.

"Brother. That's what you call Tala, right?" Kai gave a slight nod to Ray's question. "Then you already know that family doesn't have to mean just a blood relation. Voltaire is not your family, Kai. Family does not hurt one another. But us," he said, gesturing around the room. "We care about you. Let us be your family. We may not be ideal, but all we want is for you to be happy and not hurt yourself anymore. Please, Kai. Let us help you." As Ray finished, he held his breath, hoping that some of what he said got through to Kai.

_No one can help me._

_**That's not true, my fledgling. **_

_Dranzer? _It seemed like ages since he had heard from his beloved bitbeast, and just the sound of her voice sent a wave of calm through him.

_**Your friend speaks truthfully. They can help you, but you must be willing to let them. They care for you, Master, and they will not betray your trust in them.**_

With this bit of reassurance, Kai opened his eyes once more and gazed into the faces of his team.

"I…I trust you." The words seemed to illuminate the faces of everyone in the room. Breathing heavily, Kai continued.

"I'll try to let you…help me, but I don't know how you can do such a thing," he admitted, not daring to make eye contact with anyone. He felt so vulnerable right now, and it was killing him.

"It will be difficult, but we will all be there for you," assured Ray, reaching out a hand to help Kai off the floor.

Kai didn't know why, but he believed the neko-jin absolutely. Deep within him, he knew they wouldn't abandon him, and the sensation seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders. For the last three years he had been hiding and trying to keep them at a distance, but now he knew he could confide in them. He felt a similar sensation when he was with Tala, Bryan, Ian , and Spencer - acceptance. He just hoped it would last.

So, disregarding everything he had ever been taught, he grabbed Ray's hand, willingly accepting someone's help for the first time in what felt like forever.

* * *

As Tala looked over the files Spencer had given him, he felt a major headache coming on. The files contained any information available about the boys they had rescued. The red-head was so exhausted, even the most basic information seemed to become jumbled within his mind.

"These boys come from all over Russia, Tal. We're not just talking about one city, there is one from pretty much every region in the country. It's going to take quite a bit of money to return them all home."

Tala scowled. Most likely this predicament was the result of a Boris experiment. He was probably comparing different survival rates of boys from different areas. _Psycho._

"How many are from the local area?" he asked hopefully, handing the documents back to Spencer.

The latter frowned.

"Out of the twelve, only two. Bryan left this morning with them to return them to their homes."

Tala nodded. "Are any of them orphaned?" Again Spencer frowned.

"Yeah. Four of them. That's one possibility actually- just dropping them in the local orphanage. Ian didn't like the idea though. He said they would be more comfortable in places they were familiar with. Plus, it is probably a bad idea keeping abbey kids close together. There's no telling the havoc they would cause."

Tala smirked at the comment. Just look at the five of them. They were all kept together, and they are constantly amidst chaos. Of course, that was the way _they_ liked it.

"Ian's right. Have you contacted any of the families?"

"Already done," he said nodding. "We're just waiting for some responses. The only problem is, most of them are pretty poor. The chance of them sending money is pretty slim, even if they wanted to." Tala sighed. It wasn't as if they had any money to spare either. They could barely pay the rent off of what the BBA gave them each month.

"Okay. For now just keep them here at the mansion. We'll figure something out later. When he's feeling better I'll check with Kai." Out of all of them, the Phoenix was the financial wizard. Tala still called him regularly to check with what they could buy so they didn't end up starving at the end of each month.

"He must be feeling at least a little better for you to have left the hospital. That's good to know," said Spencer, switching from informative mood to conversational mood.

"I guess he is," said Tala irritated. "He had enough energy to yell at me for spending so much time in that waiting room. That's the only reason I came back here. He said he wouldn't talk to me again until I had a decent sleep." As if on cue he let out a huge yawn.

"Well then, Captain, you should know better than disobeying orders. Get upstairs," pushed Spencer. Realizing he was too tired to argue, Tala allowed himself to be bossed around.

Making his way upstairs, he entered the first open bedroom he could find. The bed was enormous, but he didn't care if it was a pile of hay. Within seconds he collapsed onto the sheets, completely passed out.

* * *

Across town, his best friend also collapsed onto a bed, but he managed to remain conscious. After allowing Ray to help him up, Kai quickly realized he was probably pushing it too far by being out of bed, a sudden headache being the reminder. He allowed his friend to help him onto the white mattress, where he was able to prop himself up into a comfortable position.

This "helping" thing was something he had never experienced, and now that he was off the floor and not so exposed, a bit of his pride began returning to him, and although it required some effort, he managed to regain some of his lost composure.

Bruce could not help but smile as he watched the boy. He saw him adjust his posture so he was completely upright and set his face so that it again became void of all emotion. They may have gotten through to him, but Kai was still Kai, and old habits die hard.

The room grew silent once more, almost as if in preparation for what was coming next. Kai had accepted their help and although that was difficult, that didn't make what was coming next any easier.

"Kai, to help we are going to need you to open up for us a bit. Would you be willing to do that?" asked Bruce carefully.

Kai eyed him. When he said he trusted them, he had not meant this man. He had half a mind to tell him to get lost. The only thing stopping him was the fact that he was starting to earn a bit of respect for him. Bruce had pushed him and had gotten him to talk. No adult had ever managed to make him do that, not even Voltaire. And the concern the man had, although he was not sure if it was genuine, was actually nice.

"To the best of my ability, I will," answered Kai, the strength in his voice returning, if only for a little while. In all honesty, the teen was not sure what to expect. Bruce nodded, accepting the answer.

"Okay, how long has Voltaire been abusing you?" Kai cringed. _Well that was a smack in the face. Obviously someone is still upset I managed to hit him. _

"Stop calling it abuse," he demanded. "I already told you that Voltaire punished me, not abused me. Abuse is when someone is wrongly mistreated. I always did something to deserve it," he rationalized, but even Tyson found the illogic in his statement. In all honesty, Kai knew very well that he was abused. It was just too humiliating for him to admit such a thing.

"You can't honestly believe that. Kai, like we said before, no one is perfect, but no one messes up enough to deserve physical punishment," explained Tyson. Bruce decided to go off his son's reasoning.

"Or maybe, Tyson, we don't understand. Kai, can you give us a case of something you did and how Voltaire 'punished' you for it?" Kai stayed silent. There were too many things to pick from, and he really did not want to relive them all in his head.

"It can't be that bad, Kai," assured Ray. "We won't judge you. Did you steal or lie? Or did you get into fights?" Kai stared in disbelief at Ray.

"Are you kidding? If Voltaire ever found out about stuff like that I'd be…" he saw how everyone waited for him to finish the sentence and stopped purposefully.

"If it wasn't anything bad like that, then what could you possibly do to deserve punishment. What, did you like fail a test or something?" laughed Tyson jokingly.

Kai seemed to fold in on himself.

"Kai?" asked Ray, noticing his sudden sullenness.

"In the abbey we would have exams. And yeah, anything less than a perfect score resulted in punishment."

"What kind of punishment?" asked Mr. Dickinson, afraid to hear the answer.

"Usually you were whipped."

The words hung in the air like a putrid odor. Looking up, Kai growled.

"Don't do that! Don't give me any pity!" he roared, seeing the sympathy in their eyes. "My life is not a tragedy, and if I'm going to open up to you then the last thing I want is you feeling bad for me." Mr. Dickinson could not believe the boy's resilience. Not a tragedy? His life was worse.

Seeing he wasn't going anywhere, Bruce tried a different approach.

"Alright Kai, for now we'll accept your answer. So how long has Voltaire been 'punishing' you?" he asked, rephrasing his previous question.

"I moved in with him when I was eight, I went to the abbey at nine, and I moved back in with him right before the Bladebreakers were created." Eight years. For eight years he had been enduring abuse. He may not want to call it that, but everyone else knew that's what it was. The only question was, exactly how much was he tortured? And that was the question Bruce asked next.

"How exactly were you 'punished', Kai? What did Voltaire and Boris do to you?" They all knew it was coming eventually, but this was the question where they were all dreading the answer.

Kai balled his fists so hard little half-moons became imprinted on his skin. Then, out of the blue a sudden pain shot through his head, and all he could do was gasp as his life played out in front of his eyes.

Whippings and beatings mixed together. Times where he was locked for days without food. He saw blood- his own blood pooling around him, and he could remember each twinge of pain he ever felt.

He grasped at his head, willing the memories to stop.

Only Ray realized what was happening, and Kai's sudden actions frightened everyone in the room.

"Kai, it's okay. I understand it's hard. If you want to wait that's okay," offered Bruce.

Despite his mind acting on its own, Kai still heard Bruce's words, and with them a sudden anger took over.

"You can never understand! You don't know what it's like! I've been whipped, and punched, and kicked! I've been shot and stabbed! I have lived half my life caged up like some dog! I've watched my best friends being tortured and fellow students being killed! I've watched my parents murdered before my eyes by the very man that I am forced to call 'grandfather'! So don't tell me you understand! No one on this earth could possibly understand the life I've had!" And just like that, everything he had ever kept a secret was out in the open. He quickly felt a mix of regret and repulsion, but at the same time he felt oddly light. It was like ripping off a bandage. Sometimes pulling it quick made the pain easier to bear than tearing it off slowly.

The other occupants stared, shocked at the boy's confession. Each one had about a million questions forming within them.

_How could we allow this?_

_Why didn't he ever tell us?_

_Where was I that I didn't help?_

_How did he survive?_

Luckily, however, Bruce again was able to manage to keep their goal in sight.

"You are right, Kai. I can never understand, and for that I am so sorry. But I can help. With what you just told us, I can almost assure Boris and Voltaire will never get to you again."

His head now reeling, Kai freaked.

"No! You can't tell anyone about this! I'll lose everything!" Bruce stepped back, shocked. But then understanding crossed his face. The boy was proud, and after all he had endured, he would rather die than lose that pride.

"I promise you, Kai. I will respect your privacy and not say a word about Voltaire laying a hand on you."

Kai looked up hopefully. This man actually did respect him, and the thought itself formed a new branch of trust within the boy.

"That's all I ask." Then, suddenly overcome with exhaustion, Kai's eyes began to roll into the back of his head, until he completely passed out. He would have fallen forward, but his three teammates reached out and caught him, easing him back onto the pillow. When they all looked up, despite the terrible situation, they each had a small smile. This was because they knew they weren't just Kai's teammates anymore, they were finally his friends.

* * *

**1. **A reference to the Blade Sharks.

Wow, that was my longest chapter ever! I don't think I want to look at another computer for days now. Again I apologize for the out of character Kainess. Hope it wasn't too bad.

Thanks so much for reading, and I'd love to hear from you in a review! Since I am starting school again I will need any bit of happiness to help cheer me up!

Ta ta for now!

-FlamingIce94


	30. Rebounding

I'm alive! I am so sorry it has almost been a year since the last update but things have been so crazy! But, instead of boring you with details I'll just cut right to the story.

Thanks so much to Dragon Reverb, mimi 007, Rapunzelle, splitheart1120, marishka91, RogueWarrior869, XxNightShroudxX, CleverPhoenix, FallenHope-Angel, between life, BlackRoseGirl666, JZ, lalaland, Pickle Reviver, and Poppies in July. Hopefully some of you are still around to finish this!

"…" talking

(…) Russian

_Italics _thoughts

_**Italics**_ Bitbeast's talking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter 30: Rebounding**

"In other news today, Voltaire Hiwatari is now being charged for the murder of son and daughter in law, Alexander and Kira Hiwatari. With a new look into the investigation of their murder that occurred over eight years ago, new evidence points to the business tycoon as a main suspect. Also relating to this incident, Boris Balkov, one of Hiwatari's employers, is now being charged for child endangerment, abuse, and murder. If found guilty, the sentence for both these men may be as severe as the death penalty. In other news-"

Turning off the radio, Bruce smiled with joy as he drove down the streets of Moscow. A tip to the authorities had been quick and painless, especially with someone as high up in power as Mr. Dickinson backing him. Together, the two of them hadn't even needed to mention Kai's name, and still the men were convicted of enough to shut them down for good.

Turning the corner, Bruce pulled against the sidewalk next to a government building. He skipped up the stairs leading towards the structure two at a time, a bit of newfound hope filling his system. Walking inside, he smiled at each of the workers and made his way to a secretary's desk. Hoping the woman spoke English, he waited until she glanced up at him.

"Is this where I can find information on custody papers?" he asked. The woman eyed him, having a personal dislike for foreigners.

"Yes," she said, in a thick accent. "Wait right over there. I'll find someone from that department."  
Thanking the woman, Bruce went over to the indicated seat, taking the ease of the situation as a good sign that he was doing the right thing.

* * *

"Alright, Kai, take it one step at a time," coaxed a red-haired, wolf blader.

"Tala," warned Kai, "I'm not crippled, and I've been walking for three days now. So back off!"

After a week of being in the hospital, Kai was finally being released and had just arrived back at the mansion accompanied by Tala. As far as the doctors were concerned, Kai's recovery had been like a miracle that defied logic. Yes, it was still difficult for him to breathe and his back was still killing him, but most of the cuts and bruises had faded away and his strength was practically at one hundred percent again. Tala claimed this was because Kai had some freaky, mutant healing power or something, but they all new it was a survival of the fittest thing. In the abbey, you either recovered quickly or died trying.

As he walked up the stairs leading to the mansion, Kai willed himself not to think of that fact that it technically belonged to Voltaire. Just the mention of the man's name made his blood boil hotter than any of Dranzer's fire.

Turning the door knob, he stopped just short of opening the door. A sound inside made irritation flood through him, and glancing down, the shadows cast below the door only confirmed his suspicions. Deciding to just get it over with, he opened the door and stood expressionless as the Bladebreakers shouted, "Surprise!" at what seemed like the top of their voices.

Above them a sign in dripping paint read, "WELCOME HOME BUDDY!" and cake with the same description sat on a table in the middle of the hallway.

"Wow! All this for me!" exclaimed Tala sarcastically, entering behind Kai. "You guys shouldn't have." Kai, however, didn't find the situation very humorous. After a quick glance at them, he grabbed his bag from Tala's arm and began heading up a long staircase, not sparing them a second look.

"Kaiiiii," whined Tyson, running to pull his friend back. "Don't walk away! We know you don't like surprises but we all thought we needed something to celebrate. Have some cake or something".

"Not hungry," answered Kai automatically, immediately regretting it. His diet or lack thereof had been one of the things the hospital told the Bladebeakers to monitor, and by the look on Tyson's face he remembered this. Also, after the whole hospital confrontation, he _was_ trying to open up a little.

"But Kai-"

"I'll have some later. I have to unpack." And with that he disappeared up the stairs.

Tyson looked at Tala as if for some help, but the older blader just shrugged, and headed to get some cake for himself.

Upstairs, Kai walked straight to the farthest room down the hall-his room. He knew it would be empty because it was kept locked when not in use. Opening the door, the room was exactly as he had left it, except a layer of dust seemed to cover everything. It had been almost three years since he had entered here, yet it felt like only days.

Throwing his stuff on the bed, he intended to get ready to take a shower when the phone next to his bed started ringing.

_Who could possibly be calling the landline? The only people who call are the ones who did business with Voltaire and they _have_ to know he's in prison right now. Everyone in Russia knows it! _

Curious, he picked up the receiver.

"(Hello?)" he asked in Russian.

"(Yes, is Mr. Hiwatari there?)" A man with a sharp, no-nonsense tone asked.

"(Voltaire is gone.)" Kai was just about to hang up when the man stopped him.

"(No, no, no. I'm not looking for Voltaire, I'm looking for his grandson, Kai.)" After a moment of hesitation, Kai replied.

"(Speaking.)"

* * *

Downstairs, the group of teenagers began dispersing back to their rooms, obviously upset by Kai's lack of appreciation.

"Oh come on, you guys really couldn't have thought that Kai would enjoy a surprise party," mocked Tala.

"But Ian had said that Kai liked cake," defended Max, pointing across the room to the diminutive blader leaning against the wall. Upon hearing his name, the said teen sauntered over.

Tala raised his eyebrows. "Really, Ian.? Really? You conned cake out of the Bladebreakers? Such a waste of perfectly good exploitation. You could've at least gotten some alcohol out of it. And here I thought we taught you better. Tisk tisk."

Ian smirked. "You hurt me, Tala. I wasn't exploting anyone. I just thought that since Kai missed his birthday and all, cake was called for."

At the mention of Kai's birthday, all of the bladebreakers turned their heads.

"When was his birthday?" asked Ray.

"Like two weeks ago. October 18." **1.**

"Are you kidding me!" screamed Tyson. "How do we not know these things!"

"Dude, chill." said Ian. "None of us celebrate our birthdays anyway. Not like you missed anything."

"But we… How could…Awww man!" shouted Tyson.

Tala smirked at Tyson's frustration, but on the inside guilt started creeping up again. Like Ian had said, they never celebrated each other's birthdays, mostly because Tala, Bryan, and Ian had no idea when their actual birthdays were. So it wasn't the fact that he had forgotten Kai's birthday that bothered him. It was the idea that Kai had spent his birthday rotting in a cell alone. He had already spent so many birthdays in that situation, and Tala hated to think that another one had just been added to the list. Luckily, a loud munching sound distracted him.

"Hummyumyumhum."

"Woah! Dudes, chill out!" Looking over his shoulder, Tala saw that the ten remaining abbey boys had attacked the cake.

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted!"

" Tala, Sir, this is amazing!" Sweatdropping, Tala looked around, hoping to spot Bryan. That way maybe the lavender blader could manage the kids. But, unfortunately the falcon was no where to be seen.

With a huff, he discarded his own cake and barely raising his voice called, "That's enough! All of you stop now and face front!." Within the last week the Bladebreakers had realized that the kids never disobeyed what any of the Russians said; however, watching all ten boys drop their cake and stand like soldiers in a matter of seconds was very impressive.

"You are not barbarians and you will not act as such. There will be many things in this world that you will find very tempting" he paused as he decided his next words, " but you will not act like animals! You are abbey boys and you will carry that title with pride. Am I understood?"

A chorus of, "Sir, yes, Sir"s rang out.

"Alright. Now beat it. Go play or something." Within seconds, all of the boys were gone.

Against better judgment, Ray turned to the wolf. "Do you think you should be treating them like that? Like soldiers? I mean, wasn't the point of freeing them to get them away from that kind of life?"

Irritated at being criticized, Tala sent a cross look at the neko-jin. "The point of freeing them was to save their lives. They know no other way then command and obey." Then, with his voice turning more playful, "And frankly, I never took a lesson on fathering, so if you don't like the way we handle things, you can gladly take over, Kitten".

That said, he marched up the stairs to find Kai.

Once gone, Max let out a nervous chuckle, "So Ian…" Left with the last Blitzkrieg Boy, Max hoped not to strike out like Tyson had with Kai or Ray with Tala.

The snake balder just laughed.

"Charming personality that one has, huh? He would kill you in one instant and then flirt with you the next. I wouldn't worry about it, Ray. He is always like that. We each have our own personality disorder, but his is the freakiest."

Not finding that very reassuring at all, Ray tried changing the subject.

"So, were you guys like this when you got out of the abbey? Like, diving into cake and all?"

Ian flicked his tongue across his teeth, resembling his reptilian bit-beast for a moment.

"Not exactly. Yeah, we each had our own thing. Like, something that the abbey never offered that we couldn't get enough of. But there was no one to really give us orders. "

"What was yours?" asked Tyson, always curious to peak inside the minds of the Russians.

"Fireworks."

"Excuse me?" laughed Tyson, assuming the other was joking.

"Like, the first time I ever saw them explode. It was amazing! Those colors and that amount of force all compacted into a small detonation-like thing. I was setting those babies off like mad." Looks of horror surfaced on the faces of the Bladebreakers. It was official. Every Blitzkrieg Boy was certifiably insane.

"Umm…That's nice Ian," attempted Ray. Then, remembering how Tala paused when scolding the boys earlier he asked, "What was Tala's thing?"

"Sex."

Just then Bryan entered through the front door, catching the three boys with looks of awe on all of their faces.

Shaking his head, he addressed Ian, "Tala called me. He said to get upstairs."

Nodding, the younger boy began jumping up the staircase, but not before giving a devilish smirk to the others.

"What were you doing to them?" asked Bryan once out of earshot.

"Just making some friends, Bry. Just making some friends." The smirk stayed on his face until they reached Kai's room.

Inside, Kai was lying on his bed with his hands behind his head while Tala stood against a wall, tapping his fist against it in an impatient manner.

"What's up?" asked Ian.

"The court date is set for Voltaire and Boris. Its next week."  
"What? Why so soon?"

"The trial has too big of an impact on Russia to postpone it." answered Kai. All four boys sat in silence. The fact that the trial was happening already was absurd. They needed more time to prepare.

"Do you think they will go through with it?" Tala asked, posing the question to no one in particular. He was referring to the possibility of Voltaire and Boris's death sentence. Since the release of the new evidence linking them to murder, it was practically the only thing any of the Blitzkrieg Boys could think of.

"Fat chance, Red. They'll squirm their way out of it just like always," answered Bryan, dropping onto the foot of Kai's bed.

"Geeze, Bry. Way to stay optimistic!" said Ian.

"Just being realistic," replied the falcon.

"I don't know Bry, there is a lot of evidence this time, and worst case scenario we have quite a few witnesses," reasoned Tala. Truth was, he just didn't want to give up again.

"Don't you see! It's pointless. No matter how many times we send them to court, they will always come back! Voltaire and his company are too huge to take down! We might as well start running from them now," yelled Bryan. With that, the room grew quiet. Most of them believing this really was the truth. Most of them, except for Kai.

"What if we only had to take down Voltaire?"

Bryan looked at his friend as if he had grown four heads.

"Instead of Voltaire and his company, what if it was just Voltaire? Would we win?"

"What are you planning?" asked Tala, standing up straight. A small, devious smile began creeping its way onto the redhead's face.

"Would we win?" Kai repeated his question. With an understanding look at Ian and then at Tala, Bryan turned back to the phoenix.

"By a landslide."

* * *

**1. **I know it is not Kai's birthday, but for story purposes, it is here.

Sorry it was slow. Mostly it was just a catch up chapter for me, to remind everyone where the story is. I will try my best to post the next chapter ASAP. There are only two or three more chapters left!

Thank you so much for reading! Please review!

-FlamingIce94


	31. Returning Home

So I know there isn't time for excuses because you all are here to read the story. But I am terribly sorry for the year-long wait. School left me no time for this story. But…now that summer's here, I can write again! (Hopefully more frequently too). I promised I would not drop this story, and I always keep my promises.

Thank you times 1000000000 to all of my reviewers! I really hope most of you are still around to read this. And, of course, welcome to any new readers. Hope you enjoy!

"…" talking

(…) Russian

_Italics _thoughts

_**Italics**_ Bitbeast's talking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

And without further ado:

**Chapter 31: Returning Home**

Allowing his legs to rock back and forth below the chair, Tyson waited impatiently for his father to join him for lunch. They had planned to meet at a McDonald's (as Tyson deemed this the safest Russian food around), but the older man was running slightly late. Unused to being the early one, Tyson was unsure of what to do with himself and so allowed his mind to wander.

As a child, Tyson never asked for much out of life. Give him a beyblade, his hat, and a few dozen hamburgers and he was more than happy. After all, it didn't take much to be happy, right? Well after the last few weeks the navy-haired boy had endured, he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that it would be a long time before he ever felt completely carefree and happy again.

Lies, betrayal, abuse, _murder_! How had his life gone from championships and buffets to hospitals and court rooms?

Well, he knew how…Kai.

Just the thought of his captain made Tyson's heart ache.

He would never blame Kai for anything that had happened recently and would be readily willing to live the past few weeks over again if it meant helping the older blader. (He prayed to any god that would listen though that there would be an easier way though). It was just now Tyson was finally realizing the depth of Kai's pain and his emotional turmoil.

Physically, Kai seemed to be healing before their eyes. It was a miracle really! And even emotionally he seemed to be trying to make an effort to be more open. But Tyson could not stop wondering how one person can cope with so much tragedy and hurt in his life, and it pained Tyson that Kai was going through that.

"Hey, Champ! How you holding up?"

Upon the arrival of his dad, Tyson's thoughts were quickly halted, sparing him from another battle with the depression that he had recently become more familiar with.

"Hi, Dad." Bruce could see the sadness hidden behind his son's eyes. It had been in the eyes of all the Bladebreakers since their rescue and had only dissolved slightly since Kai's release from the hospital. Bruce and the other parents had considered sending the boys to a psychiatrist, but how could they after they promised to keep Kai's torture a secret? What else would the boys have talked about? Maybe group therapy with Kai would be better. But Bruce highly doubted Kai would _ever_ agree to that. Especially now that he was released from the hospital and the closest sedative was ten miles away.

"Well, I suppose we should get some food," prompted Tyson. After all, he was pretty hungry. The two ordered their food, picked it up, and then returned to their table, munching silently for the majority of the meal.

"Sooooo," started Tyson, obviously trying to get his dad's attention. It was awkward enough eating dinner with just his dad - he hadn't done that in years - but the silence during the meal was almost too uncomfortable to bear.

"What made you want to go to lunch together?" asked Tyson.

Bruce wiped some ketchup off the side of his mouth, inwardly hurt by the question.

_Don't normal sons and fathers go to lunch together all the time? Or have I ruined our relationship to the point that there always has to be a reason for us to spend time together? _

"Tyson," Bruce paused, hesitant as to how he wanted to go about this. "I know I haven't been the best father. I haven't been around, and I've missed a lot of your life, and for that I am truly sorry."

Tyson looked at his father with big eyes, confused by the unexpected confession.

"After…after your mother died, I hated Japan. I hated Beycity and I hated our home. I hated everything around us because it all reminded me of her. I couldn't stand it! I had to get away or I knew I'd just lose it. I would've been angry all the time and done things I know I would've regretted. Work gave me the opportunity to get away, and so I did. Hiro was old enough to take with me on my digs. But you…Tyson you were so young. You were in the middle of your schooling and as social as you are…I knew you would've hated being confined to the desert with only a bunch of old men. I'm not making excuses. I know I've been a horribly selfish father and have robbed you of the only parent you had left. For that I am so sorry."  
Tyson looked hard at his father. He had never seen such a demonstration of emotion from the man, nor had he ever seen such distress or pain on his father's face. Was it horrible that a part of him actually was pleased with that though? For years he had stored up his anger at his father for abandoning him when he needed him most. He couldn't count the number of special occasions in his life that his father had missed, and he couldn't recall the number of times he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let it bother him. It always did though. But now, Tyson's anger seemed to slowly be flowing out of him. It was being replaced by something else. Acceptance? Understanding?

"I promise, Tyson. I promise that starting now I will be a better father. No more running away. After everything that's happened, I now know that my place in this world is beside you. When we get back to Japan I'm moving back in with you and Grandpa."  
Tyson allowed this information to process through his mind. He thought about it for two seconds…five seconds…ten seconds… and then flew across the table to wrap his arms around his father. Forgiveness! That's what the feeling was. Tyson knew six years of father-son time could never be made up, but Tyson also was not one to hold grudges. His father apologized, he was moving back, and that was all that mattered!

* * *

"What are you playing at, Kai?" The blue-haired youth's face was a mix of satisfaction, hesitation, resignation, and plotting. For a face that often showed no emotion at all, it was quite surprising, even to the Blitzkrieg Boys, to see so many emotions covering their brother's face.

With a devious smile growing on his lips, Kai turned to the four other occupants in the room. "I was just offered ownership to Hiwatari Enterprises and all its components…including Biovolt." Kai's voice was barely a whisper, perhaps even he couldn't believe what he had said yet, but all eight ears had heard the proclamation very _very_ clearly. And no one breathed.

Caught up in his own mental processes, Kai got up from the bed he was sitting on and walked over to the table where the phone was…the phone that had brought him the news that could possibly change his and all of his friends' lives. If he owned Hiwatari Enterprises- _him_, not Voltaire-then they would all be free. Voltaire and Boris would have no way of escaping trial because the country would not have to worry about the leader of its economy taking retribution. All of the Biovolt projects could be shut down, and all prisoners anywhere across the world could be freed!

Overcome by his thoughts and unable to grasp them, Kai allowed himself to slide to the floor, where he sat kneeling. Then, without warning, Kai Hiwatari began to laugh.

* * *

"Hahaha! No way, Dad! There is no way that Hiro actually did that!" laughed Tyson.

"Hey, the medicinal herbs that some tribes use are known for getting people to act pretty crazy. Just don't ever tell your brother I told you! He'd be so embarrassed!" explained Bruce.

"Yeah. Okay, Dad," was Tyson's response, but secretly he was storing away the information for future blackmail.  
After their lunch, the world champion blader and his father had decided to go for a short walk around the park before heading back to the mansion. Truthfully, Bruce wanted to prolong this "Tyson-time" as long as possible. He really was enjoying it. Plus, he was still debating on how to breach a certain subject that he desperately needed to discuss with his son. Might as well take the direct approach though. That seems to usually work for him.

"Tyson," he hesitated. "Do you know what's going to happen to Kai after all this legal business is sorted out?"

Tyson blankly stared at his father for a moment and then glanced away, as if pondering the thought.

"Well…I guess we are all going to eventually go back to Japan together. I'm not completely sure though. We've kind of been just trying to get Kai through the present. I really don't want to be the one to ask him about the future just yet though. He seems too friendly with the Blitzkrieg Boys and after everything we've put him through I'm afraid he'd want to stay with them," admits Tyson. He knew it was selfish - to want Kai to stay with him when obviously he's closer with Tala - but gosh darn it! He's their captain!

"I know what you mean, Tyson, but Kai's situation is more complex then him deciding which team he wants to stay with. There's a lot of legal stuff involved." By now, both the Grangers had planted themselves on a park bench, focusing more on conversation.

"Like what?"

"Voltaire is still Kai's legal guardian." A look of horror appears on Tyson's face, but before he can protest Bruce cuts him off. "With all the charges against him though, and because he's currently incarcerated he will almost certainly lose custody of Kai. However, this leaves Kai without a legal guardian, and because he has a year before he comes of age, he will probably end up in a foster home here in Russia." Bruce allows a minute for this information to sink in, but it doesn't take long for Tyson to become distressed.

"No way! Kai can't end up in a foster home! He's…he's too proud for that! Plus he'd hate it! He doesn't trust anyone as it is, and Russia's just going to throw him into a group of people he's never met! There's no way that's fair!"

"I know, Tyson."  
"And why would it be here in Russia? He has joint citizenship in Japan too! This is an outrage I tell you!" By now Tyson's arms were flailing, so Bruce, although proud of his son's passion, decided to spare him his misery.

"Slow down, Champ. Listen, I completely agree with everything you are saying. And if I have any say in it, that boy is not going to end up in a stranger's hands. That's mainly what I wanted to talk to you about today. I wanted to know what your opinion would be if I was to try and become Kai's legal guardian?"

Tyson looked up into his dad's searching eyes. He wondered if this was some sort of trick, but all he found was pure honesty on Bruce's face. He really meant what he just said. Unable to speak, Tyson launched himself at his dad, embracing him in the biggest hug he had given since his mother's death. Surprised but delighted, Bruce returned the embrace and tried to explain to Tyson his plan.

"I went down today to fill out some papers for adopting Kai, and Mr. Dickinson offered to help with any financial matters the situation would bring about. Everything's in order, and it's almost guaranteed I'll get custody. I know Kai and I haven't been off to the best start, but after everything that's happened I know that the boy really is good, Tyson. All I need to seal the deal is Kai's consent, and first and foremost, your approval."

Tyson pulled back to look at his dad, confused. "Why my approval?"

"Because you and Hiro - you're my boys! I'd never give you another brother without asking your permission first. This is as much your decision as it is mine. Especially since you know him better and will probably spend the most time with him," clarifies Bruce.

Tyson nods in understanding, but still thinks the notion ridiculous. Although glad his dad considered his feelings, of course he wanted Kai to stay with them! It was the only place the dragon blader could keep an eye on him, and it meant he would know that Kai was safe.

"Dad, I've never been prouder to call you my dad then right now," answered Tyson in response to his father's proposal. A huge smile floated across the elder Granger's face.

"Then alright, we will tell him tonight."

* * *

The last time Kai had fully laughed (and not manically either) was over six years ago. At first, just a small chuckle came out of his mouth, but once started the sound grew larger, and before any of the Blitzkreig Boys knew what was happening, Kai Hiwatari was on the floor, laughing loudly and seemingly uncontrollably.

For a minute, each boy stared at the phoenix, and then one by one, they too began laughing like maniacs. Because each one had had the same exact thought process as Kai. Each knew what his ownership of Hiwatari Enterprises meant, and each one could neither believe it nor did they have the strength to put any hope into the notion. But, just the imagination of such an idea brought such utter relief to their minds, that laughing was the only way they could express themselves.

They sat laughing with one another for over five minutes, finding that once they started they could not stop. However, eventually they did calm down and again the room fell to silence.

"Sooo…did you accept?" asked Tala for comedic purposes. Getting off the floor, Kai rolled his eyes at the red-head.

"Nope. Told him I could find a better offer."

Mirroring Kai, Tala then rolled his eyes at the blue-haired blader.

"Kai…how did this…how is this possible?" asked Spencer. For him, the moment was too important for antics.

With a smirk still adorning the edges of his lips, Kai explained, "Pretty much the Head of the Executive Board told me that they were sick of _Voltaire_ (Kai practically choked out the name) dragging the company's name through the mud. His continual habit of getting arrested was hurting the profit of the company and men in suits often don't like losing profit." He paused to catch his breath. Although in appearance Kai looked almost back to normal health, he was still feeling the effects of his time at the abbey. The biggest change in his health being his difficulty breathing. The Blitzkrieg Boys remained silent, knowing Kai wasn't finished. None of them liked to waste words.

"Although a year from being legally able to inherit the company, the Head of the Board said that they could work around that. I could inherit the company now as long as I leave all the decision making up to the Board of Directors until I come of age. I'll have a say-so, but I won't become president until next year. I'd spend this year learning the ins and outs of everything."

"Yeah. As if you don't already know," scoffed Tala. He knew very well that Kai had been learning the "ins and outs" of his family's company since he was nine. The boy could easily run it even now.

"The important thing is that by accepting this offer, Voltaire will lose all power and connections that he has, leaving him vulnerable."

Each of the five boys thought of this delicious notion for a minute, reveling in the way it sounded.

There's always a catch though, and Tala was the first to spot it.

"By signing your name, your signing yourself over to the company though. You never wanted that," he whispered the last part, recalling a past conversation he had had with his blue-haired twin.

_FLASHBACK_

"_How could you not want to own your company, Kai? You'd have everything! More food then you could eat! So many clothes! Everyone would want to be your friend! It's the perfect life!" shouted Tala. _

_Kai had just returned from his business lesson with his grandfather, finally understanding that one day he'd be the sole owner of Hiwatari Enterprises._

"_I just don't want it, Tala. You're never free from it. You work constantly and don't have time for anything else. It's this company that drove our family apart and if…when…I inherit it, it just won't feel like mine. It will always feel like Voltaire's." _

_END FLASHBACK_

Kai's smile vanished and the youth's body visibly lost its casualness.

"It's my birthright. It was bound to happen eventually. If this is what frees us from Voltaire, then I will happily accept it. Just…don't let it consume me….like it did him." Kai looked distantly at the ground, embarrassed for asking such a thing but terrified of the idea.

With understanding, Tala tossed a pillow at his friend's head, not surprised when Kai caught it.

"Oh please, Blue. If you were anything like that lunatic you'd have murdered the Brat pack by now. But they are still alive and kickin' so you must have at least a dose of human compassion in you somewhere. Don't worry though. If you start losing yourself we will all happily stop over to knock some sense into you." Bryan, Spencer, and Ian all nodded vigorously in agreement.

A small genuine smile graced Kai's lips, and now that he had his brothers' approval, he allowed the idea of actually taking Hiwatari Enterprises from Voltaire to enter his mind. Although it would be a burden, it would eliminate the worst part of his life.

"A son can bear with equanimity the loss of his father, but the loss of his inheritance will drive him to despair".

The words fell from Kai's lips before he even knew he was saying them. So many times Voltaire had preached Machiavelli to Kai. He worshipped him almost as a god-like figure, utilizing his, _The Prince, _as a Bible. And that quote was often one that Voltaire would shout at Kai, forcing him to understand the importance of money and wealth over people. Now, the quote served as a source of pleasure for Kai because Voltaire's belief in it showed him just how torturous it'd be for the old man to lose all of his empire to his feeble and pathetic grandson.

* * *

So I know it's short and pretty uninteresting, but I just wanted to get it posted so everyone knew I was still alive. The next chapter should be up in the next two weeks.

Please ignore any legal discrepancies in this chapter. I don't have a firm understanding of the legal process involving adoption and inheritance, but for this story we are playing by my rules. So sorry if it seems far-fetched. That's the power of imagination!

Also, I am well aware that the summary of this story no longer matches the plot line. But for nostalgic reasons I do not plan on changing it.

Thank you so much for reading! Please review!

-FlamingIce94


	32. Revelations

Hi again!

Thank you so much to: pheonix80, Mashy-Gaara4life, CleverPhoenix, mimi 007, vlissan, imma-pink-buble, natheriver, Ana Paula Ferreira, Annika Preminyer, and animegirl3216. I appreciate all of your reviews sooooo much! They really keep this story going.

Also, everyone needs to check out the review by FYI! The notice brings up an important matter concerning this beloved website, and the more people that are aware of the problem and act against it, the faster we can resolve it. So please, everyone check it out! Both readers and reviewers alike. And thank you to whoever posted me that message. I am very grateful to have been informed.

"…" talking

(…) Russian

_Italics _thoughts

_**Italics**_ Bitbeast's talking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter 32: Revelations**

Heading down the elaborate staircase, Tala and Kai walked side by side in step. The distinct smell of seasonings grew stronger as the pair descended, alerting Kai to the fact that Ray was preparing dinner for the evening. It would be the team's first dinner together since the nightmarish dinner they had had back in New York where Emily had rudely disclosed the information that Voltaire had escaped from prison.

_Please let this dinner go a little better. _

Entering the kitchen, Kai's suspicions of the chef were confirmed when he saw Ray sautéing some greens in a pan.

"Hey Kai. Tala," Ray greeted, setting his pan down. Kai nodded in response.

"Well, well, well. I've heard that the kitty is pretty good at cooking. Now I get the honor of actually watching him in person, hmmm?" teased Tala.

Ray just stared at the Russian unsure of how to respond. He glanced at Kai for some help, but the phoenix seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. So, Ray busied himself with cooking again in order to have an excuse not to look into the wolf's eyes. Although he was pretty sure now that Tala was an ally, the older blader still freaked him out.

"Um…are you planning to stay for dinner, Tala? Ian told me that him, Bryan, and Spencer had plans so I had figured you were busy too. I don't mind making an extra plate though."

"Hmmm…" Tala contemplated. "Kai?" Brought out of his thoughts by the call of his name, Kai glanced over at his friend and found an unasked question. _Do you want me to be here when you tell them or are you alright? _

Truthfully, Kai did want Tala there. The boy had been a buffer for Kai between himself and the Bladebreakers, and for the last few weeks it had been a great relief to Kai to know that someone was always there watching his back. But Kai knew that Tala had his own life and that he couldn't babysit him forever. Plus, Kai knew that Tala had been itching to go out for a while now. Wolves don't do well cooped up.

"I know you have plans, Tal. Go ahead." Tala studied Kai's face for a second, but unable to see any reaction, Tala accepted his friend's answer.

"Alright. Thanks, Blue. And I mean, I'll have my phone the whole time and everything so if you need me-"  
"I'm not two, Tala." The reply held a slight bit more anger then Kai intended and he could see the change in Tala almost immediately. So, trying to smooth things over with the red-head Kai added, "Just don't get anyone knocked up tonight. We have enough brats running around here." At that comment, Ray's head shot up, causing him to nearly burn his hand.

A smile appeared on Tala's face though, knowing this was Kai's way of reassuring him.

"Haha. Sure Kai." And with that, Tala swiped an apple off the counter, and dashed out of the room so he could go get ready.

"Kai," began Ray hesitantly, "What exactly are Tala's plans?" Although he knew he shouldn't bunt in, the conversation he had just witnessed made him very curious.

Looking up with a smirk Kai replied, "You're too innocent to know, Ray."

Offended, Ray went to argue but was cut off by the loud slamming of a door.

"KAI! KAI!"

"Ugh. Stupid idiot," Kai mumbled. Ray couldn't help laugh as Kai pushed himself up from his seat and left the kitchen to go answer Tyson's call. He knew that if Kai had the energy to start berating the dragon-blader again then things were finally getting back to normal. Pleased, he went back to chopping up some vegetables for a salad.

Entering the front hallway, Kai was surprised to not only see Tyson but Bruce standing there as well. The last time he had seen the man Kai had fallen to pieces at his feet and the memory of all the emotions he had felt overwhelmed him. He wasn't sure whether to hate this man or feel grateful to him. Out of instinct though he knew he had to re-prove his strength to him.

"You should really teach your son to use an inside voice," Kai advised, leaning against a wall with his eyes closed, pretending to have forgotten their last encounter.

"Yeah, well, some hard-heads just never learn, you know," replied Bruce, eyeing the youth warily. He had checked up on Kai several times since the boy's breakdown, but this was the first time he had faced the teen while he was conscious. He knew the same thought was running through the other's mind, and it was killing him not to know how Kai was feeling. Suddenly, sympathy went out to his son. How had he dealt with the enigma of Kai for so long and not gone insane from wondering what the other was thinking?

"Kai, do you mind if the two of us talk to you in private for a second?" asked Bruce.

Kai's intuition immediately told him to flee the situation. Private conversations never go well. But, knowing that he really couldn't run away, Kai led them into a sitting room and reluctantly closed the door. He made sure he was sitting closer to the exit though than the other two.

_What am I doing? This is Tyson! What's he going to do? Stop with the paranoia. _

"So, how are you doing, Kai?" asked Bruce. He decided it'd be better to ease into the whole adoption thing.

With a scoff, Kai raised an eyebrow at the man as if to ask if that was a serious question.

"Sorry," apologized Bruce, realizing it was probably an inappropriate question.

_Come on, be nice. He's trying. _

"All things considering I'm well," said Kai.

Bruce, touched by the boy's attempt, decided to try farther.

'"Well' is a pretty vague word, Kai."

"My bones are healed. The bruises and burns are gone. And I'm actually allowed to leave the house by myself now without causing Ray a severe panic attack. So yes, I'm well."

Tyson, although not really sure if it was appropriate, laughed at his captain's response. It was very true that the first few times Kai wanted to go outside alone Ray paced back and forth obsessively until he came back inside. The dude really was like a mother hen.

Bruce nudged his son for his behavior but Kai's eyes took on an amused glint to them. Despite the horror he had suffered, Tyson's sense of humor seemed to still be strongly in tact. That reassured Kai. A lot.

"Well, that's good. I'm glad to hear that, Kai. How is everything else?"

When he got a questioning look Bruce elaborated.

"How are you mentally handling everything?"

This question shook Kai. _How was he doing mentally? _Truthfully, he had been avoiding the question himself.

The flashbacks had completely stopped since his episode at the hospital, but the memories were still vividly there. Although he found himself able to sleep through the night now without constant insomnia, nightmares (often of his team suffering the fate of abbey boys) still plagued him. He was growing much more trusting of his team and found that he enjoyed having them there to help, but he was constantly paranoid of being seen as weak. He still felt on edge about his breakdown, but he was used to putting the past behind him. The hardest thing for him to deal with was the fact that Voltaire had indeed killed his parents. This sent constant anger, pain, and sickness through him, but he was hoping that could be fixed when he stripped Voltaire of his power.

So, really, he was very unsure how he was doing mentally.

"It's complicated." Bruce nodded in understanding.

Wanting that to be the end of the conversation, Kai changed the topic.

"So aside from pleasantries. Why did you want to speak?" At this point Tyson was practically jumping up and down in his seat.

"Can I tell him, Dad? Please?" Slowly, Bruce nodded.

With the biggest smile that had ever graced the face of Tyson Granger, the blue-haired teen proclaimed, "Kai, the Granger family wants to adopt you!"

"…" All color drained from Kai's face.

For about two minutes the smile stayed plastered on Tyson's face. Then, when he didn't get a response, it began drooping away.

"Kai?" The older teen just stared at the ground, not moving.

With a growing fear of rejection rising within him, Bruce decided to try and clarify the situation a little more.

"You see, Kai. After everything that's happened we thought it would be best if you had a stable home to go back to. Because as I'm sure you know, with Voltaire in jail you'll most likely be sent to a foster home. So, I went and got the custody papers, and with your permission, my family and I would like to make you a part of the family."

During Bruce's explanation Kai had risen to his feet and was now turned in the opposite direction of the two Grangers. He didn't pace, but shifted his feet several times. Then, leaning back against the fall and running his hands through his hair, his eyes shot up and stared down the father and son duo.

"Who told you?" The three words were individually emphasized.

"About the fact that you would be sent to a foster home? That's a part of the legal process, Kai. Everyone knows," explained Bruce. The boy's reaction was not boding well for him. Maybe he should have gotten to know him better and earned his trust more before springing this on him. But in all honestly there wasn't much time for that.

"Don't play stupid. You know what I'm talking about. Who told you!" The boy's voice was rising with anger and hurt and Bruce had no idea what he meant.

"Kai, please. We don't know what you mean. Told us what?" asked Tyson, panicking.

"About me now owning Hiwatari Enterprises, damn it!" He pounded his fist hard against the wall. "I found out yesterday. How could you possibly have known!"

He searched the eyes of the two desperately, but only found shock upon their faces.

"Kai…" started Bruce slowly. "What do you mean you now own Hiwatari Enterprises?" This conversation was definitely not going as planned.

"Stop playing stupid with me." Kai was now visibly shaking, but his voice was more controlled. "You _had_ to know. You had to know that I inherited the company. Otherwise what else would you gain out of having me become a part of your family. I can't believe you two. How stupid do you think I am?"

"Kai, we honestly had no idea! What would we gain? We'd gain you as a family member. That was our only intention. That's enough for us," said Tyson. "We didn't know, Buddy. I swear."

Kai was about to retort, but because he was pushing his breathing a bit too far he instead erupted into a fit of coughs. Although frustrated with the bad timing of the attack, it gave him time to think.

_Tyson doesn't lie, you know that. And if Bruce got papers and everything- he couldn't have just gotten those today. They take time to file. And you just found out last night. So they couldn't have known. They couldn't have known. _

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back and jumped, smacking the hand away. Looking up he saw it was Bruce.

"It's okay, Kai. We'll get this sorted out. Just take it easy and breath, okay?" As Kai's breathing steadied, he realized these weren't the words of someone looking to get rich off of him. Which meant…_They really wanted to adopt me. For just me. _

When his breathing returned to normal, Kai regained his posture.

"You didn't know?" He looked intensely at both Bruce and Tyson.

"No, Kai. We didn't." Suddenly Kai felt very tired and returned to the chair to sit. Silence ruled the room for a long time until he spoke again.

"I…I really don't know what to say. I've only caused turmoil for your family, but you still…It just doesn't make sense to me," he admitted.

"I know you haven't experienced this much, Kai, but in life people can act without expecting something in return. We aren't perfect, but we are a family. And I think you deserve a family after all you've been through." Kai had never heard words so deep come from Tyson's mouth. It impressed him and touched him too. There were so many thoughts running through his head. He really had to just think about everything.

"I need some time to think about it. If that's okay?"

Bruce nodded. "Of course. But…I do want to hear more about this Hiwatari Enterprises thing. When you say you've inherited the company, what exactly do you mean?"

* * *

"Mr. Hiwatari!"

"Mr. Hiwatari! Over here!"

Fiery crimson eyes peered back at Ray and his teammates through the big-screen television in the mansion. The same eyes that were probably plastered across every other television set in Russia. After all, it wasn't everyday that the country's main source of economy was handed over to a seventeen year old.

When Kai had told the team he inherited his family's company, the team was absolutely astonished and gave several protests as to why it was not the best idea. However, when Kai explained his motives - to keep Voltaire out of power - all arguments were silenced. How could anyone argue with that? And now here he was doing a press conference, breaking the news to everyone else in the world.

"Mr. Hiwatari, how does it feel to become the youngest billionaire in the world," inquired a reporter.

Ray wondered how Kai did it. He hadn't even been out of the hospital for three weeks and now he was giving a press conference in front of millions.

_Only Kai freaking Hiwatari_.

Any other person would probably need committed by this point in their life. But not Kai (although he probably should've been). Kai had…it.

"I've lived in wealth all my life and have always been engrossed in the work of Hiwatari Enterprises. Age has nothing to do with it. I've been expecting this inheritance since the day I was born so it comes with no surprise to me," responded Kai stoically.

_Arrogance._

Ray smirked at the cockiness of the teen. Even after everything he had been through he still stood tall and proud, brushing away any inferior 'bugs' that dared waste his time.

"Mr. Hiwatari, how will the inheritance of your grandfather's company affect your beyblading career?"

Ray, and probably only a handful of other people in the entire world, noticed the slight falter in Kai's posture at the mention of Voltaire.

"Seeing as all my time and energy will now be directed towards Hiwatari Enterprises, my career as a beyblader will indeed come to an end." Kai paused to let this information sink in. Many cries of protest were heard from the crowd. At the mansion, even louder cries broke out.

"No way!"

"He didn't tell us that!"

"Come on, Dude, you can't mean that!"

All the shouts at the television were pointless but each of the bladers were so shocked that logic wasn't really a pressing matter.

Ray truly could not believe the phoenix had neglected to tell them this significant detail! The world of beyblade without Kai was like peanut butter without jelly, salt without pepper, or a bird without song. Plus Kai loved the sport. It was one of the few things that he _did_ love.

_Sacrifice. _

"However, despite the end of my career, my involvement with the sport will not end. I plan to demolish the Biovolt part of Hiwatari Enterprises and build a new beyblading facility and company for the beybladers of Russia which I will oversee."

"Mr. Hiwatari, what are your thoughts about the incarceration of your grandfather and the charge against him concerning the murder of both your parents?"

Ray wanted to punch whoever the reporter was that dared ask such a question. Did people have no filter or sense of sympathy! How ignorant can one person be!

Unlike before, Kai did not flinch at the mention of Voltaire's name, but instead stood completely emotionless - his eyes searing into the soul of someone in the audience (most likely the idiot who asked the question).

"Voltaire Hiwatari is a visionary." Again, Kai allowed his statement to sink in. He was never one to be dramatic, but he wanted his words to make an impact. And they certainly did, earning gasps from the Bladebreakers as well as several of the audience members. How could someone defend a man that killed his parents?

"Voltaire built this company from the ground up. He is the epitome of success. But, there is one factor that Voltaire is guilty of overlooking. He cannot tell the difference between sacrifice and slaughter. He always acted in what he thought was the best interest of this company. However, he always failed in acting in the best interest of people. A person's life is not worth any amount of money. That fact is how I will separate myself from my grandfather's legacy."

_Strength._

"Why? After everything that he has done to him, Kai still won't criticize Voltaire? How can he not!" screamed Max.

Silence ensued for a minute before Ray dared to try to make sense of it.

"Because, to criticize Voltaire would bring fault and weakness upon the Hiwatari name. Kai would rather defend his greatest foe then dishonor his family."

"Mr. Hiwatari! Mr. Hiwatari!"

"I have time for one last question," answered Kai. He then nodded to someone off screen.

"Many are concerned that with you being so young, Hiwatari Enterprises will lose the experience and knowledge needed in order to successfully run it. Do you think your inheritance of the company will in any way harm the economy of Russia?"

Fire blazed in Kai's eyes.

"I have more experience and knowledge in this company than most seasoned CEOS do. I plan to not only uphold the company's prestige but improve it. My inheritance of HE will not begin a dark age for Russia, but will open new doors for its people. Rest assured that the company is in good hands."

_Passion. That was what Kai had. In everything that mattered to him, he had passion._

A roar of applause broke out on the television as Kai finished and began descending the podium from which he was speaking.

"At least he's confident in himself," said Tyson.

Ray exchanged a quick, nervous glance with Max, both of them thinking the same thing.

"Tyson," started Max. "He kind of has to be. Even if he was unsure, he can't exactly tell that to the millions of people counting on him."

"Well, he's never let us down, and I'm sure he won't let them down," proclaimed Tyson. "Now Ray, how about a celebration dinner!"

In reply Ray rolled his eyes. A lot of things were about to become different, but Tyson's appetite was surely one thing that would never change.

* * *

Well, I hope you enjoyed! Now only the epilogue is left and then this story will be done! I can't even believe it. Thank you so much for reading! Please review!

-FlamingIce94


	33. Resolution (Epilogue)

Well folks, here is the final chapter. I think I may actually shed a tear. This has been my baby, but I am very proud to have finally finished. Thank you so much to all of my reviewers of last chapter: CleverPhoenix, imma-pink-buble, ash1692, Rangerapprentice, and gemgemchan, and thank you so much to all of you who have stuck through this story despite how long it has taken. I promised I would finish so here you all go! Please enjoy:

"…" talking

(…) Russian

_Italics _thoughts

_**Italics**_ Bitbeast's talking.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter 33: Resolution (Epilogue)**

**One year later**

"Click"

"Click"

"Click"

_No matter where in the world you go, all confinement cells sound the same. The echo of footsteps off the cement walls and steel bars still raise the hairs on my neck because of its familiarity. The constant drip of leaking water that can never be found still makes shivers run down my spine as if I can feel the cold dankness of the walls and floor. These are much nicer than the cells of the abbey, but nonetheless they are similar. _

The sudden thought brings a slanted grin to Kai's face, revealing his confliction as whether to smile or not.

Turning the corner, he stops in front of the only prison cell in this hallway. He nods to the guard that he personally hired to watch this door, signaling him to unlatch it.

The inside of the cell is shadowed, but the silhouette of a man sitting at a table is clearly visible.

As Kai enters, the guard shuts the door behind him allowing the two men privacy. Approaching the table, Kai sits himself opposite the man in front of him and observes a chess set between them. It is already ready for play, set up as if Kai was expected.

The man glances up at Kai, down at the board, moves a pawn, and then nods in Kai's direction. This action infuriates Kai for a reason he cannot place.

"I didn't come here to play games." He keeps his voice short and controlled, surprised at how quickly his anger can sneak up on him. He had been planning this visit for months, putting it off for fear of the pain and fury it would cause him. But time was running out, and he knew this needed to be done.

"Of course you didn't, Kai. Playing games is beneath us. This however, is a test of strategy and intelligence. Aren't you up for one last challenge between the two of us, grandson?"

"Do not call me that. You know very well that I was never that to you. Your pawn, your tool, but never your grandson."

Voltaire remained with his eyes focused on the chess board. "Yes. Yes you are quite right. But where I'm at right now, Kai, your blood is the only thing I have left to call my own. So forgive me if I get…nostalgic." The old man let out an ironic laugh that resembled more of a pained moan. It was pathetic to hear and even made Kai grimace at the sound of it.

"And think of this game as my last wish, Kai. My last request of you."

Kai set his face to stone and after a moment's thought he leaned over and moved a pawn.

"Boris is dead. He was killed two days ago."

Kai's mind flashed back to the medical room where Boris's execution took place. The smell of disinfectant, the sight of the needle, and the anger that Boris would die so painlessly were still all vividly present in Kai's mind. Only Kai, Tala, Bryan, Spencer, and Ian had attended the execution. Kai had ordered everyone else to remain at home. This was their moment that they needed. More than any of them, it was the moment Tala needed. Boris had tortured and tormented Tala more than any other boy in the abbey, violating him in ways no other prisoner ever had to suffer through. This execution was Tala's victory and his freedom.

Kai thought of the way the red head had stood plastered to the glass dividing Boris from them, and how he had stood shouting obscenities and taunts at the purple-haired man. Then when the needle was prepared, he grew silent. If a feather dropped in the room at that time then everyone would have easily heard it.

Kai remembered the way Tala had grabbed Kai's hand right as they injected the lethal toxin, and how Tala's hand tightened around his as Boris started thrashing and screaming and the doctor started panicking and scrambling around for the label of the toxin.

He remembered the smirk that grew on the wolf's face as Boris's eyes locked onto his as his mouth began to foam. He remembered the nod and tiny wave the red head gave to Boris right before his heart monitor flat-lined and the man's body went still. And he remembered the way Tala had fallen into his arms after that and began sobbing with relief and joy that his tormentor was finally dead.

"Yes I heard the news," said Voltaire, breaking Kai out of his reverie. "I heard that his execution did not go as smoothly as the law intends. I had figured such a thing would happen, which is precisely the reason I am choosing a firing squad instead. I suppose it was that dog of yours that switched the injection with some form of acid." Voltaire moved another of his pawns.

Kai let a small smile slip onto his face. The wolf had indeed switched the toxins to ensure that Boris died a very painful death, an action Bryan later regretted not thinking of himself.

"Boris got what he deserved, just like you will get yours," Kai replied. He slid his knight to claim one of Voltaire's pawns.

'Tsk tsk, Kai. Do you really think Russia will be better without me? I kept boys off the streets, I single-handedly rebuilt the nation's economy, and I have provided technology to propel Russia into the future. If I'm getting what I deserve then I should get a statue erected in my honor! When those jurors condemned me to death, they condemned this country to death. All you've done Kai is betrayed your family and your country. You have disgraced the Hiwatari name and you will soon lead Hiwatari Enterprises and this country into ruin because of what you've done." With a deep grunt Voltaire claimed Kai's knight and knocked the piece loudly to the floor. Kai sensed the man's growing anger, and well aware of his own he knew a fight was about to ensue.

"You may have saved this country financially, Voltaire, but you have ruined its spirit and its people. You've made them live in fear that their sons will be taken and never return. You've killed and you've stolen and you've sold Russia over to mobsters and the black market. You are not a martyr, Voltaire you are a villain! _You_ are the traitor to this country and _you_, plainer than the fact that I am sitting here, are a traitor to your family! Even when I was given the chance I did not kill you, yet you took the lives of both your son and daughter-in-law, and I know for a fact you would take my life now if you could! You deserve the death you are getting tomorrow, but it is because it is just, not because of any betrayal!"

Kai's breathing was harder now. The doctor had told him that despite his healing he would continue to have difficulty breathing for the rest of his life due to the damage to his lungs. He didn't care now though. This was the final time he would ever see this man, and he wanted to tell him everything he had to say.

"Look at me." The old man's eyes continued to stay glued to the chess board.

"I said look at me, Voltaire!" The demand was a controlled demand and held such threat that the gray man did in fact look up, albeit grudgingly.

"I can barely stomach looking at you right now, but I came here today because I want you to know everything before you die tomorrow. I destroyed Biovolt the moment the papers were approved, and the main base, as well as the other locations around the world are now merely cinderblock in a landfill. After your trial Hiwatari Enterprises sunk to an all time low in stock because of the way you tarnished its name, but because of the new beyblade facilities HE created, it has in fact risen to again take the place as Russia's leading financial empire. Facilities which are being led in fact by that _dog_ you mentioned earlier. This company will not die under my power but will rebuild itself to stand for something worthy of the Hiwatari name."

"Worthy of the Hiwatari name," Voltaire scoffed. "Worthy of the Hiwatari name? You wouldn't know worthy if it slapped you in the face, Kai. I built you and made you capable of running the company, and as soon as I die tomorrow you will have no one to look to for advice. You think those monkeys on the board know anything? They don't! You will be entirely on your own, not only with the company but in life too. I am your only family, _Grandson_, and without me you have nothing."

Voltaire had stood up at this point, leaning across the table to get close to Kai's face. He knew loneliness had always been the boy's weakness. When he was little he would grip onto his leg begging for Voltaire not to leave him. It was the reason he had befriended that dirty red-head in his cell, and it was the reason he had strayed from his mission when he became a part of the Bladebreakers. However, instead of pain, a shade of contentment grew upon Kai's face.

"I am not alone, Voltaire. That was the one card you could always play over me. I can see that now. But I can also see that I never was alone. I know you are aware that the Granger family now has guardianship over me, and they have helped me to grow more than you ever could. You've only ever slowly killed me, they have brought me back to life. That's what a family is. The Blitzkrieg Boys are what a family is. You are not my family, and I am not alone. You are though. I did not come here to forgive you, and I did not come to comfort you in your last hours. I came solely to tell you that I have won, and that I am stronger. I will forever hate you for what you did to my family, and I cannot be happier about the fate you have been served. I am done being yours, Voltaire. Now, I want to be me, and that is starting here."

Voltaire stared angrily into the satisfied eyes of Kai. He had put all of his faith and dreams into this one boy, and now it was over. Kai truly never was going to be his.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" asked Kai. Voltaire lowered himself into his chair again.

"I only ever wanted the best for you." Kai's crimson eyes narrowed at this comment.

"My mind has been shattered enough that I truly believe that in your deranged mind you think that. But I am past understanding. All I can hope now is that before you breathe your last you realize the millions of ways you went wrong."

With that said, Kai stood up and began heading for the door.

"We did not finish our game, Kai," said Voltaire just as Kai had gotten to the door.

Glancing over his shoulder, Kai looked down at the chess board and then up into the eyes of his grandfather.

"It was a game I never wanted to partake in." He let the meaning of his words sink into the man's head and watched as his face grew tight with anger. Kai knew the man's face would forever be burned into his memory - his nightmares attested to this- but Kai still wanted to get one final look.

"Goodbye Voltaire." And with that he opened the door and stepped out.

Kai nodded to the guard and began walking back down the corridor. From behind he could hear Voltaire begin shouting to him and distinctly made out the sound of a chess board being swiped to the ground.

* * *

Once Kai was back at the entrance, he searched for and spotted a familiar neko-jin.

Ray, seeing Kai as well, ran up to his friend.

"Hey, how did it go?" His amber eyes glistened with concern. It was an emotion Ray had that did not bother Kai much anymore.

"I told you you didn't have to wait for me, Ray," said Kai with a sigh as the two began walking down the stairs that led to the street.

"There was no way I was going to leave you here. What kind of person would I be if I did that after you asked me to come?" Ray retorted.

Kai just shrugged in reply. After Boris's execution Kai hadn't wanted to bother Tala with his business with Voltaire (it would've been like taking a step backwards), so instead he had asked Ray to accompany him. This hadn't been an errand he wanted to run by himself and over the past year he had learned to trust Ray more and more. He might even venture to say the two had grown to be close friends, but that was an idea he wouldn't say aloud just yet.

"So, before we leave are you alright? Are you happy?" asked Ray.

Kai thought long and hard about this. He knew he would never get another chance to talk to Voltaire again, but that made him more relaxed than anything else. For the first time in forever he actually felt at peace. He had friends, actual friends. He had a purpose in life. And he no longer had to keep looking behind his shoulder or keep all of his thoughts to himself. Yes the memories would be there, but those would fade. What he was feeling now would only grow stronger.

"Yes, Ray, I am happy." The word felt strange coming off his lips, but in a good way, and in response a cat-like grin spread across Ray's face.

"Great."

The two headed off into the street.

"So would this be a bad time to tell you that Max called and said Ian and Tyson set fire to your kitchen? Or should I wait on that?" asked Ray sheepishly.

Kai let out a frustrated sigh but allowed a tiny smile to appear on his face. After everything he had been through, it was good to know that some things would never change.

The End

* * *

I cannot believe this is finished! It is far from perfect and looking back there are so many changes I want to make (the title for one- it really has no relevance to the story I just don't have the heart to change it at this point). But overall I am very pleased with the story. I never would've imagined five years ago the joy I would get out of writing this, and I never would have imagined it would have taken me five years to finish it. I have grown up so much from when I began, but my love for Beyblade fanfiction still is strong.

Truly, thank you so much to anyone who read this story and especially thank you to all those who reviewed. It really kept this story going, especially when I had no motivation for it. I hope I entertained you, and I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. Thank you so much!

-FlamingIce94


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